Fresh tensions are brewing in the Niger Delta as regional groups warned that disputes over pipeline surveillance contracts could trigger another wave of conflict in the oil-rich region if urgent action is not taken by President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The Niger Delta Stakeholders Forum and Niger Delta Ethnic Nationalities raised the alarm after a strategic meeting in Port Harcourt, saying community leaders, youths, former agitators and opinion leaders were already noticing signs similar to those that plunged the region into unrest in the past.
According to the groups, the growing dissatisfaction stems from what they described as policy imbalances and the concentration of pipeline surveillance contracts in the hands of a few interests.
In a communiqué issued after the meeting, the groups said they were speaking not only as stakeholders but as people who had experienced the painful cycles of conflict, peace negotiations and reconstruction that shaped the Niger Delta over the years.
They stressed that the peace, stability and economic survival of host communities depended heavily on decisions currently being taken by the Federal Government.
The stakeholders urged President Tinubu to “learn from history” by restoring fairness, equity and confidence in the system through urgent reforms in the award of pipeline surveillance contracts.
They warned that failure to address the grievances could have serious consequences for both the Niger Delta and Nigeria’s oil-dependent economy.
The groups also defended calls for decentralising pipeline surveillance operations, arguing that oil production peaked under former President Goodluck Jonathan when communities were actively involved in protecting oil assets.
They claimed that despite increased spending on centralised surveillance arrangements today, Nigeria still struggles to meet its OPEC production quota, worsening frustration across the region.