President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the immediate restoration of oil production in Ogoniland, Rivers State, more than three decades after operations were suspended following widespread protests over environmental degradation.
The President gave the directive on Wednesday at the State House, Abuja, while receiving the report of the Presidential Committee on Ogoni Consultations, chaired by former Vice Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, Prof. Don Baridam. The delegation was led by Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
Oil exploration in the area was halted in 1993 amid fierce opposition by the Ogoni people, a resistance movement that later saw the execution of environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight others—known as the Ogoni Nine—by the regime of late Gen. Sani Abacha in 1995.
Commending the committee for its work, President Tinubu urged the Ogoni people to embrace reconciliation and dialogue, which he described as the “surest path to justice and development.”
He also conferred posthumous national honours of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) on four prominent Ogoni leaders—Chief Edward Kobani, Chief Albert Bade, Chief Samuel Orage, and Chief Theophilus Orage—known as the “Ogoni Four.” This follows earlier honours granted to Saro-Wiwa and others in the struggle.
“The Federal Government truly acknowledges the long years of pain endured in Ogoniland,” Tinubu said. “Today, we declare with conviction that hope is here. Dead assets are of no value to the people or the nation. We must restart oil production now, because the longer we delay, the greater the losses.”
The President further directed the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to work with NNPC Ltd., the Ministry of Environment, and Ogoni stakeholders to implement a framework that integrates oil production, environmental remediation, and community development.
Ribadu described the new process as “transformational,” assuring that it would restore trust and bring development not only to Ogoni but to the wider Niger Delta.
Governor Fubara pledged his full cooperation, saying the Federal Government’s renewed seriousness offered “a genuine opportunity to resolve these issues once and for all.”
Committee chairman Prof. Baridam said the report represented the collective will of the Ogoni people, highlighting demands for greater participation in oil production, accelerated clean-up efforts, and sustainable development. Former MOSOP President Ledum Mitee also welcomed the development, calling it a “new dawn” for the people.
Kenneth Kobani, son of one of the honoured leaders, expressed gratitude, saying the recognition by the President had reaffirmed faith that “Nigeria is on the right path, no matter how long it takes.”
