Group demands environmental audit of refineries to protect communities

A group, the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), has called for a participatory social and environmental audit of refineries in the country to protect fence line communities.

The group also demanded a transparent investigation into the allegations by the Dangote Refinery that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) was importing and foisting ‘dirty’ fuels on Nigerians.

Nnimmo Bassey, executive director, HOMEF, in a statement on Wednesday, said “HOMEF is alarmed by the cloudy controversies around the Dangote Refinery. The role of the NNPC in the unfolding disputes highlights the opacity of the sector and the inbuilt booby traps in the regulatory frameworks under which the sector operates. Nigeria entered the oil refining business shortly after independence, with the first refinery built in Port Harcourt to meet domestic needs and curb over-reliance on importation.”

He recalled that “The Nigerian government acquired the refinery by a successive increase of shareholding starting at 50 percent in 1965 and increased to 60 percent in 1972 and taking up sole ownership by 1978. The name also had a systematic shift from the Nigeria Petroleum Refining Company to NNPC Refinery, Port Harcourt,” Bassey said.

Bassey noted that over the decades, NNPCL’s poor performance has forced Nigeria into the vice grip of forces of exploitation of colonial proportions, making it the largest exporter of crude oil and, at the same time, the largest importer of refined products of dubious quality.

Bassey further noted that “The importation of refined petroleum products has equally foisted heavy economic pressures on the hapless citizens of Nigeria, noting that the arrival of the Dangote Refinery has its huge ecological baggage, especially regarding the plight of neighbouring communities and the general environment. Besides, there are bigger issues related to the creation and operation of what has come to be known as economic zones of exemption.

Ruth Tene Natsa

Ruth Tene, Assistant Editor, Agric/Solid Minerals/INEC Ruth Tene is an award-winning journalist with over 15 years experience in developmental reporting across several newsrooms, as a reporter, editor and other managerial roles. She holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism from the University of Maiduguri among several other certifications She has attended several trainings and certifications both locally and internationally and has been recognized for her impactful work in humanitarian reporting, receiving the Gold Award for Humanitarian Services from the Amazing Grace Foundation. She is also a recipient of the Home Alliance Fellowship, reflecting her commitment to fostering a more humane, safer and more sustainable planet. An active member of professional journalism bodies, Ruth is affiliated with the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), and the Agricultural Correspondents Association of Nigeria (ACAN), where she continues to advocate for excellence, ethical reporting, and development-focused journalism.