Foundation Empowers A’Ibom Oil Community to Demand Environmental Justice, Take Climate Action
By Ekemini Simon
A community engagement on environmental rights and climate justice, organised by Peace Point Development Foundation has empowered the Ikot Ebidang community in Onna Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, to demand their rights and advocate for environmental justice.
Ikot Ebidang Community is among Sterling Oil host communities.
The engagement which took place on Saturday, July 19, 2025 at Ikot Ebidang featured presentations, panel discussions, and the inauguration of community environmental monitors.
The community engagement highlighted the critical issue of environmental degradation in the Niger Delta region, where oil spills and environmental pollution have affected the community’s livelihoods and health.
Ikot Ebidang Community together with other neighbouring communities recently dragged Sterling Oil operating within the OML 13 asset to court over alleged reckless venting of gas during the company’s oil exploratory activities in the area.
In his welcome address, the Coordinator of Peace Point Development Foundation, Umo Isua-Ikoh noted that the degree of pollution taking place in the Niger Delta due to oil extraction is enormous hence the need for the government to declare a state of emergency on the environment.
The Coordinator who sympathized with the community over the level of pollution and environmental hazards faced due to the operations of Sterling Oil said experience has shown that oil producing communities are often worse off as their environment, health and livelihoods are often destroyed due to corporate greed.
Isua-Ikoh who charged the community to monitor, report happenings in their environment and be part of climate actions called on the Federal Government to clean up the entire Niger Delta due to unprecedented pollution taking place due to extractivism.
In his presentation on presentation on ” Understanding the JIV Process: The Role of the Community”, the Chief Environmental Scientist (CES) of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency NOSDRA, Akwa Ibom office, Mr. Akan Odungide said community participation with the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) during Joint Investigation Visits helps to absolve communities of responsibilities in oil spills if they were not involved or establish culpability for the operator which compensation must be paid to impacted communities.
He said JIVs help establish cause of spill, spill volume, and area of impact which helps the community to achieve justice for the damage or loss suffered.
While noting that NOSDRA is legally responsible for handling all oil spills, Odungide said beyond the companies, the community has the responsibility of reporting spills to an asset operator and the regulator; NOSDRA.
The CES urged communities to use tools like GPS cameras to document evidence of environmental pollution thus be able to pursue their environmental rights to a logical conclusion.
An Environmental Rights Activist, Ekemini Simon in his presentation on ” Engagement Tools for Communities in Addressing Environmental Injustice”, said environmental literacy is critical for community mobilisation to advocate for environmental and climate justice.
He said adopting community based monitoring, negotiations, strategic communications, letter writing campaigns and legal advocacy are crucial engagement tools for communities to address environmental injustice.
Simon recommended the community to familiarise themselves with regulatory tools such as oil spill monitor and gas flare tracker as part of the ways to obtain climate justice.
In her speech, the Councilor of the area, Hon. Iniobong Victor thanked the PPDF over the training. She said considering the capacity gaps noticed in the community, the community leaders are determined to initiate awareness campaigns and capacity building initiatives.
On her part, a woman Leader of the area, Obonganwan Regina Udonsek said Ikot Ebidang is ready to duplicate the template of other communities that have used litigation to obtain environmental justice adding that communities like Ogoni land will be an inspiration to the people of Ikot Ebidang.
Udonsek said the community will build partnerships with the media and civil society groups to amplify community voices and demands.