The Niger Delta Farmers, Fishermen, and Seafood Dealers Association (NDFFSDA) has urged the Federal Government to compel international oil companies (IOCs) to pay $100 billion in compensation for environmental degradation in the Niger Delta.
In a statement signed by its National President, Imoh Okoko, and Secretary, Sunny Eleas, the association said decades of oil exploration have caused severe harm to the region’s ecosystem, leading to loss of livelihoods and lives.
It accused the IOCs of persistent oil spills, gas flaring, black soot emissions, and acid rain, which have destroyed farmland and aquatic life across several communities.
According to the group, fishermen and farmers have suffered immense economic losses due to the destruction of nets, hooks, boats, and other equipment by oil vessels and surveillance boats operating in the region.
“The continuous damage to our tools and the deaths of our members during fishing activities are directly linked to oil operations in our waters,” the statement read. “These tragedies, recorded repeatedly between 2019 and 2024, have left families in distress without compensation from either the companies or regulators.”
The association appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly to mandate the payment as a form of reparation to oil-producing communities for 65 years of ecological damage.
It said the proposed fund should be managed through a special account jointly administered by oil-producing states and environmental organisations to support health infrastructure, women empowerment, education, and the revival of fishing and agriculture.
NDFFSDA added that such compensation would help restore environmental balance and ease rising tensions in the Niger Delta.
