The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has called on the Federal Government to reserve at least 60 per cent of Nigeria’s oil blocks and marginal fields for companies owned by Niger Deltans, insisting that communities in the oil-producing region deserve greater control and benefits from their natural resources.
In a statement signed by its National Spokesman and Publicity Secretary, Chief Dr. Obiuwevbi Ominimini, PANDEF expressed concern over the ongoing 2025 Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) Commercial Bid Conference, describing it as an opportunity for the Federal Government to reflect on what it called the prolonged neglect of the Niger Delta.
The group argued that despite the region’s vast oil and gas wealth, many communities continue to grapple with poverty, environmental degradation and the effects of decades of oil exploration.
PANDEF questioned government claims that Nigeria remains an attractive investment destination for the global oil and gas industry, asking what tangible benefits such investments have brought to the people of the Niger Delta.
According to the group, gas flaring and widespread pollution have rendered rivers and underground water sources unsafe for domestic use across several communities in Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers and Akwa Ibom states.
It said communities stretching from Sapele, Warri, Ughelli and Kwale to Oloibiri, Yenagoa, Port Harcourt and Uyo continue to suffer the consequences of environmental pollution without adequate remediation.
The forum further criticised what it described as the exclusion of Niger Deltans from ownership of oil assets, noting that while the region hosts the country’s oil reserves, the majority of oil blocks are controlled by interests outside the area.
PANDEF also called for greater transparency in the management and utilisation of gas flare penalties, insisting that such funds should be channelled towards improving the welfare of affected host communities.
The organisation renewed its advocacy for resource control, maintaining that Nigeria’s federal structure should allow federating units greater control over resources within their territories while remitting taxes to the central government.
On artisanal refining, PANDEF urged the Federal Government to establish a legal framework that would allow local refiners to operate legitimately, rather than destroying their facilities.
It argued that indigenous refiners should be registered, licensed and provided lawful access to crude oil, saying such a policy would encourage local enterprise, promote self-sufficiency and reduce dependence on imported refined petroleum products.
The group also called for a forensic audit of previous NUPRC commercial bid rounds to ensure transparency in the allocation of oil blocks.
PANDEF maintained that a comprehensive review of past licensing exercises would pave the way for a more equitable process, while reiterating its demand that no fewer than 60 per cent of future oil blocks and marginal fields be allocated to companies owned by Niger Deltans.
The forum said such a policy would give oil-producing communities a stronger sense of belonging and ensure they benefit more directly from the resources extracted from their land.
