President Bola Ahmed Tinubu received the Report on Ogoni Consultations in the State House, Wednesday, September 24, 2025. Photo shows National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara and Chairman, Ogoni Dialogue Committee, Prof. Don Baridam at the ceremony.
President Bola Tinubu has instructed the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, to commence high-level engagements with the Ogoni communities, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), and relevant stakeholders to finalise plans for restarting oil production in the region.
Speaking at the Presidential Villa on Wednesday while receiving the report of the Ogoni Consultations Committee, Tinubu emphasized the need for inclusive dialogue and reconciliation as key to peace and long-term development in Ogoniland.
“I am directing the NSA to immediately begin engagement with the Ogoni people and NNPCL, its joint venture partners, and all relevant stakeholders with a view to finalising modalities to begin operation,” Tinubu announced.
He urged all segments of the Ogoni population—across generations, communities, and leadership structures—to unite and move forward in peace. “I urge the Ogoni people across classes, communities, and generations to close ranks, put this dark chapter behind us, and move forward as a united community with a single voice,” he said.
The President reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to restoring environmental integrity, advancing economic growth, and fostering peace in the Niger Delta.
“I am encouraged by the overwhelming consensus of Ogoni communities to welcome resumption of oil production under equitable terms,” he noted. “The government will deploy every resource to support your people in this march toward shared prosperity.”
He acknowledged the decision by the previous administration to assign operation of the Ogoni oil fields to NNPCL and its joint venture partners, pledging to build on that progress.
As part of a holistic approach, Tinubu also directed the Minister of Environment to integrate pollution remediation efforts into the ongoing dialogue with Ogoni stakeholders.
In a gesture of national recognition, Tinubu posthumously conferred the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) on four late Ogoni leaders—Albert Badey, Edward Kobani, Theophilus Orage, and Samuel Orage—collectively remembered as the “Ogoni Four.”
NSA Nuhu Ribadu, who led the consultations, revealed that the dialogue process included representatives from all four Ogoni zones and diaspora communities. “The consultations focused on structured participation, accelerated environmental cleanup, and sustainable development,” he explained.
Speaking to journalists after the event, Ribadu reaffirmed Tinubu’s commitment to peace, justice, and inclusive development across the Niger Delta.
“Peace is being restored already, and Nigerians will soon see the benefits—not just in Ogoniland but across the Niger Delta and beyond,” he stated.
Chairman of the Dialogue Committee, Prof. Don Baridam, described the submitted report as a reflection of the collective will of the Ogoni people. He recommended the establishment of an inter-agency task force to oversee implementation of the report’s findings.
Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara praised Tinubu’s leadership, noting that recent federal actions have boosted public trust.
“The confidence-building measures implemented by the President have led to improvement in the work done on the East-West Road,” he said, adding that the creation of the Federal University of Environment and Technology in Rivers State was “a positive step in the right direction.”
Oil exploration in Ogoniland has been on hold since 1993, following widespread protests against environmental degradation. The conflict escalated with the 1995 execution of environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight others, events that drew global condemnation and halted operations for over three decades.
