EDEN Calls for Action on Gas Flaring, Mining Crises at Inaugural Retreat

Chiemelie Ezeobi 

The Environmental Defenders Network (EDEN) has concluded its inaugural board and staff retreat in Benin City, Edo State, with a strong call for decisive action on critical environmental challenges affecting Nigeria. 

The retreat, which included a Thanksgiving service on Sunday 8 December 2024 and deliberations from 9 to 10 December at EDEN’s headquarters, focused on pressing issues in the Niger Delta and northern communities grappling with the impacts of resource extraction.

The retreat also underscored the need for proactive legislative action and stronger enforcement mechanisms to protect both the environment and the livelihoods of affected communities.

In a statement issued at the end of the retreat by Chima Williams, Chair of the EDEN Board, and Philip Jakpor, Secretary of the Board, who jointly signed the resolution, reaffirming the organisation’s commitment to advocating for environmental justice and sustainable development in Nigeria. 

The group also  expressed support for the Anti-Gas Flaring (Prohibition and Enforcement) Bill currently before the House of Representatives. 

The proposed legislation, sponsored by Hon Babajimi Benson, aims to prohibit gas flaring except under strictly regulated circumstances, aligning with Nigeria’s international climate commitments. 

EDEN applauded the initiative but criticised the perceived inaction of Niger Delta representatives in championing the bill, despite the devastating effects of gas flaring in their constituencies. 

The group highlighted the alarming health crises in the region, including respiratory illnesses and reduced life expectancy, which it attributed to decades of unregulated flaring.

The group also raised concerns over a growing trend of oil multinationals divesting from onshore operations in the Niger Delta without addressing their environmental liabilities. EDEN called on the federal government to halt these divestments until companies have fully remediated polluted sites and decommissioned abandoned infrastructure. 

The recent approval of divestment deals, including Eni’s sale of Nigerian Agip Oil Company to Oando, was described as a failure to prioritise environmental justice for affected communities. EDEN pledged legal support for communities opposed to such deals and reiterated its demand for comprehensive environmental audits across the region.

Attention also turned to the solid minerals sector, where a series of mine collapses in recent months has claimed dozens of lives. The group cited incidents in Niger, Adamawa, and Plateau States as evidence of a growing crisis, exacerbated by illegal and poorly regulated mining activities. 

EDEN expressed alarm over the influx of foreign mining firms, particularly Chinese operators, and the resulting social and environmental degradation. 

The group proposed a unified oversight mechanism involving federal Mining Marshals, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and community monitors. It also called for amendments to the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) Act to include solid minerals, ensuring broader environmental protection.

EDEN further recommended that host communities receive a minimum of 10 per cent of revenues from mining operations and demanded stricter penalties for illegal mining, including confiscation of assets and imprisonment. 

To prevent environmental disasters, the group insisted on the mandatory decommissioning of mining pits within one week of ceasing operations, with severe penalties for non-compliance.