Oil spill unchecked in Nigeria’s delta region – activists

Lagos – Oil has spilled for weeks in Nigeria’s delta region from a well apparently damaged by thieves and which has also sparked a fire that has yet to be contained, environmental activists said on Tuesday.

The Environmental Defenders Network said the spill at Buguma wellhead 008 began early in January and both were still underway as of Monday evening.

“An oil spill is not supposed to last for that long,” let alone “a fire outbreak that could destroy human, aquatic and wildlife in a very short period,” said Chima Williams of the Environmental Defenders Network.

“It is unfortunate that for the people of the localities involved, the year 2025 has started on a bad note with the disruption of the environment that sustains their livelihood,” he added.

Williams said authorities have yet to provide assistance to the community affected by the spill and fire, and expressed concern that if the government does not act quickly the damage could be more devastating.

The well is operated by a subsidiary of the state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), which blamed the accident on oil thieves.

It did not provide any information about the size of area damaged by the oil leak and fire, nor when they would be contained.

“Since March 2023, crude oil theft on this asset has been persistent, with criminals now resorting to extreme measures, including the use of dynamite to destroy installations and illegally access hydrocarbons,” NNPCL spokesperson Olufemi Soneye said in a statement on Monday.

Nigeria has recently seen an uptick in its oil output after years of decline due to widespread theft from pipelines.

Accidents are also frequent in the country, with more than 600 oil spills reported last year, according to the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA).

It said the equivalent of around 96 oil tanker trucks of oil were spilled.

The agency only reports figures on the size of oil spills after they are contained.