Holding IOCs Accountable For Environmental And Health Damages

The allure of black gold has fuelled economic growth and technological advancements for decades, but its extraction comes at a steep cost. Oil exploration and production, particularly by International Oil Companies (IOCs), have left behind a legacy of environmental devastation and public health crises across the globe. From polluted water sources to respiratory illnesses, the impact on communities is undeniable, raising the question: how can we hold IOCs accountable for the damages they inflict and ensure compensation for those affected? . ROLAND OGBONNAYA writes

The Niger Delta region of Nige­ria, rich in natural resources, has long been the epicentre of the country’s oil production. However, this wealth has come at a significant cost to local communities, resulting in severe environmental degradation and health crises. The impact of oil exploration activities has led to widespread pollution of land and water, deforestation, and a range of health issues for the inhabitants of this region. As communities and activists rally for accountability, the challenge of securing compensation from International Oil Companies (IOCs) for these environmental and health damages remains a conten­tious issue.

Oil spills, gas flaring, and the de­struction of ecosystems are rampant in the Niger Delta. According to var­ious reports, the region experiences thousands of spills annually, releasing toxic substances into the environment and exacerbating issues such as soil infertility, water contamination, and loss of biodiversity. These environ­mental hazards have direct repercus­sions on public health, contributing to respiratory illnesses, skin diseases, and long-term health impacts related to exposure to harmful chemicals.

Local fishing and farming, vital sources of livelihood for many com­munities, have also been severely af­fected. Blackened waters and tainted land mean that traditional industries suffer, leading to economic instabili­ty and food insecurity. This crisis has incited protests, social unrest, and an increasing demand for both reme­diation and compensation from the responsible oil companies.

Despite the overwhelming evi­dence of environmental and health damages, obtaining compensation from IOCs is fraught with difficulties. The legal frameworks governing oil extraction in Nigeria are often criti­cised for being inadequate, allowing companies to evade responsibility. Local communities face numerous ob­stacles, including lengthy legal battles, bureaucratic challenges, and a lack of access to adequate legal represen­tation. Furthermore, there have been instances where IOCs resort to legal loopholes or negotiated settlements that fall short of comprehensive ac­countability.

Internationally, the principles of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and environmental ethics are gaining traction, yet enforcement remains in­consistent. The Nigerian government, alongside international bodies, has a role to play in creating a more robust regulatory framework that mandates IOCs to take responsibility for their operations and ensure that affected communities receive fair compensa­tion and support.

In response to these challenges, grassroots movements and non-gov­ernmental organisations are ampli­fying the voices of impacted commu­nities. They have focused on raising awareness regarding the social and environmental injustices faced by these communities.

Interestingly, a conference in Abuja during the week gave some of the oil communities to reiterate the call for compensation from the IOCs.

Bayelsa State Governor, Duoye Diri, leading the pack, demanded from international oil companies (IOCs) US$12 billion over the course of 12 years for the repair, remediation and restoration of the environment and public health damage caused by oil and gas exploration and to lay the foundations for Bayelsa’s just transi­tion towards renewable energy and opportunities for alternative liveli­hoods.

The governor, who made the de­mand on Wednesday in Abuja at the International Oil Pollution and Just Transition Conference, lamented that: “Not too many decades ago, we could cast nets into abundant waters, reaping enough catch to nourish en­tire families. However, the oil boom has brought doom. Our lifeblood – our rivers – now flow with toxic oil residue instead of vibrant life.

“We are a people of the river and the land; fishing and farming were once our essence. These vocations passed down through generations, taught us patience, respect for nature, and the value of hard work. But the unchecked activities of International Oil Companies (IOCs) have turned the prolific rivers and fertile soil of Bayel­sa into a wasteland.”

He equally decried that: “Our breadwinners, robbed of their ances­tral legacy, toil on unforgiving, pollut­ed land and fish in toxic waters, only to return with empty nets. Their fam­ilies face crippling hunger and suffo­cating despair.”

The governor, who revealed that he just received a report from the Bayelsa State Oil and Environmental Commis­sion, titled “An Environmental Geno­cide: Counting the Human and En­vironmental Costs of Oil in Bayelsa, Nigeria,” said: “One study estimates that in 2012 alone, oil spills in Nigeria, and predominantly in the Niger Delta resulted in over 16,000 additional neo­natal deaths.”

He stated: “Indeed, Oil pollution and relentless gas flaring have en­gendered a grim tapestry of alien health conditions in Bayelsa; children are being born with severe deformi­ties, respiratory diseases flourish, stubbornly defying even the most advanced medical interventions and therapies. Cancers, once a rarity have surged in prevalence, infiltrating the villages like a spectre that haunts the very fabric of daily life.

“The environment itself has be­come a crucible of suffering. The air hangs thick with toxins, while the water, once a source of life, now flows with pollutants that carry the weight of despair.

“This unrelenting barrage of en­vironmental degradation has trans­formed Bayelsa into an epicentre of health crises, forging a reality where illness and suffering have become the norm rather than the exception.”

Diri said the report notes that as a direct consequence, “Life expectan­cy in Bayelsa has plummeted to just 50 years” sinking well below levels deemed acceptable by global stan­dards, adding that: “Despite these burdens, we continue to demonstrate an indomitable spirit, navigating daily struggles with a painful resilience that belies our longing for a healthier and more hopeful future.

He noted that: “This Report, there­fore, has not only captured our plight, but it has also amplified our voice; a voice that has cried out for decades, unheard. For too long, we’ve pleaded for mercy, only to be met with indif­ference. Our children’s futures, our heritage, and our very existence hang in the balance. And today, I bring that voice before you.”

The governor said: “Let me echo a resounding call of the Commission to the IOCs that: “concerted internation­al action to generate and invest at least US $12 billion over the course of 12 years to repair, remediate and restore the environmental and public health damage caused by oil and gas and to lay the foundations for Bayelsa’s just transition towards renewable energy and opportunities for alternative live­lihoods, adding that: “This I believe is not limited to Bayelsa State alone, therefore, I call on my brother Gover­nors from the oil producing states to join hands with us in this battle for environmental justice.”

In his welcome address, the Direc­tor of Health of Mother Earth Foun­dation (HOMEF), Nnimmo Bassey, said the conference comes at a piv­otal moment in the socioecological history of Nigeria, noting that: “Ex­tractivism and accompanied pollution has wreaked extensive damage in the physical, socioeconomic and cultural spheres of our national life. They have worked together to build a warped fu­ture, which must be deconstructed, and reconstructed.”

He revealed that: “The report highlighted the incredible extent of petroleum pollution in Bayelsa State and has given us a vivid picture of the extreme damage that almost seven decades of crude oil exploitation has done to the entire Niger Delta region, particularly concerning both environ­mental and human health. It is pure environmental genocide and there is no way to sugarcoat its horrors.”

He noted that: “The report is rid­dled with almost unimaginable facts. For example, it tells us that there is a 1.5 barrels per capita crude oil pol­lution in Bayelsa State. It affirms an atrocious level of harm visited on the state including that there is the total hydrocarbons pollution of the water in the state at 1 million times above safe or acceptable standards. One mil­lion times above safe standards.

“We note that the pollution is from both old and active wells, flow stations and pipelines. Indeed, abandoned and decrepit oil infrastructure continues to pose extreme menace to the envi­ronment and the people of the State. Some communities have been ripped apart by canalization; while others face the threat of being washed into the ocean by combined forces of subsidence, sea level rise and coastal erosion.

“Our water channels are blatantly and recklessly used as waste dumps for produced water and sundry harm­ful wastes in disregard to ecological and human safety. Our lands and wa­ter bodies are privatised and damaged through acts of egregious industrial vandalism and systemic environmen­tal racism emanating from the worst forms of colonial resource extraction and land grabbing.”

The Nigerian government has, over the years, established a legal framework governing the oil industry, which includes the Oil Pipelines Act and the Environmental Impact As­sessment (EIA) Act. However, enforce­ment of these regulations has been weak, and the benefits of oil wealth have not been equitably distributed. IOCs often negotiate contracts that grant them significant operational freedom, at times leaving communi­ties vulnerable to exploitation and environmental harm.

IOCs, on their part, argue that they often engage in CSR initiatives as a strategy to mitigate their impact on communities. These initiatives can in­clude investments in local infrastruc­ture, education, health care, and eco­nomic development projects. However, critics argue that such efforts are often insufficient or poorly implemented, failing to address the root causes of environmental and health crises.

Many IOCs say they have imple­mented measures for environmental remediation in response to oil spills and other forms of degradation. De­spite this, the effectiveness of these efforts is often questioned. Restoration can be a lengthy process, and in many cases, significant damage remains un­addressed, leading to continued suffer­ing for local populations.

While some IOCs have acknowl­edged their liability to compensate affected communities, the process is often fraught with challenges. Delays in compensation payments, bureau­cracy, and inadequate amounts can leave communities without sufficient means to recover. Furthermore, the process for claiming compensation is complex and can be inaccessible for many community members.