Centre For Social Justice & Environmental Rights Protection

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

May 1, 2026

Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

International Workers’ Day 2026: Labour Rights, Environmental Justice and Inclusive Livelihood Restoration in Ogoniland

The Centre for Social Justice and Environmental Rights Protections (CESJERP) joins workers, trade unions and civil society across Nigeria and the world in commemorating International Workers’ Day 2026. We salute the resilience and daily sacrifices of Nigerian workers, especially the fisherfolks, farmers, artisans and labourers of the Niger Delta who continue to bear the brunt of environmental degradation while struggling to earn a decent living.

In the oil-bearing communities of Ogoniland, the dignity of labour remains severely threatened. Decades of oil pollution have destroyed rivers, mangroves, and fishing grounds, the very foundation of traditional livelihoods. While we acknowledge ongoing efforts by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) towards environmental remediation and livelihood support, serious gaps persist.

We particularly amplify the cry of the Fishermen Association in Ogoni, who have raised alarm that many of their members have been excluded or inadequately captured in HYPREP’s livelihood restoration programmes. These fishermen, whose livelihoods were directly devastated by oil spills and mangrove destruction, continue to suffer as fishing grounds remain polluted and alternative support fails to reach the most affected.

Comr. Wisdom Kagbara, Executive Director of CESJERP, stated:
“On this Workers’ Day, we declare that labour rights without environmental justice is meaningless. How can we speak of decent work for Ogoni fishermen when their rivers and creeks are still poisoned, and many of them have been left out of HYPREP’s livelihood training and restoration packages? True remediation must restore both the environment and the people’s means of survival. Fishermen and women whose only trade is fishing must be deliberately included in all livelihood interventions.”

CESJERP therefore calls on the Federal Government, HYPREP, the Rivers State Government, and multinational oil companies to:

Immediately review and expand HYPREP’s livelihood restoration programme to fully capture and prioritize genuine fishermen and other traditional livelihood groups in Ogoni who were most impacted by hydrocarbon pollution.

Ensure transparent, community driven selection processes that prevent exclusion of the most vulnerable, especially artisanal fishermen in riverine and mangrove dependent communities.

Accelerate the clean up and restoration of polluted rivers, creeks and mangroves to revive natural fishing grounds as a matter of urgency.

Provide targeted, sustainable support such as improved fishing inputs, aquaculture training, mangrove regeneration projects linked to fishing livelihoods, and direct economic empowerment for excluded groups.

Strengthen inclusion, accountability and monitoring mechanisms so that livelihood programmes truly benefit those whose sources of income were destroyed by oil activities.

Environmental justice is labour justice. A healthy environment is the bedrock of productive and dignified work. We stand in solidarity with all Nigerian workers demanding fair wages, safe conditions, and social protection, and with the people of the Niger Delta who demand both a clean environment and restored livelihoods.

CESJERP renews its commitment to grassroots advocacy and will continue to monitor HYPREP’s interventions while amplifying the voices of marginalized groups such as the Ogoni Fishermen Association.

Signed:
Comr. Wisdom Kagbara
Executive Director
Centre for Social Justice and Environmental Rights Protections (CESJERP)
Contact: +2348067582490
Email: [email protected]
United Nations
Centre For Social Justice & Environmental Rights Protection

PRESS STATEMENT

For Immediate Release
Date: Tuesday, April 7, 2026
Port Harcourt, Rivers State

Easter Renewal Must Extend to Ogoni: Full Remediation and Justice Before Any Oil Resumption – CESJERP

As the world celebrates the spirit of Easter, a season of resurrection, hope, renewal, and the triumph of justice over suffering; the Centre for Social Justice and Environmental Rights Protections (CESJERP) calls on the Federal Government, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC/NIOC), and all relevant authorities to translate this message of rebirth into concrete action for the long-suffering people of Ogoniland.

While Christians across the globe rejoice in the resurrection of life, countless Ogoni families continue to live amid death and decay caused by persistent oil contamination. In Kpean community, Khana Local Government Area, fresh and recurring oil spills from wells in the Yorla Oil Field (OML 11), including major incidents in August and December 2025 at Well 14 and surrounding sites, have devastated farmlands, polluted rivers and water sources, destroyed mangroves and aquatic life, and rendered livelihoods impossible. Residents wake up to suffocating hydrocarbon fumes, cannot farm or fish, and face ongoing health risks with little to no meaningful cleanup or support from operators.

This environmental assault is not an isolated tragedy. It represents a blatant and continuing violation of the social and environmental rights of the Ogoni people. The right to a clean and healthy environment, the right to water, the right to food security, and the right to dignity are being trampled daily. Decades of oil exploitation have left scars that no cosmetic remediation can hide, while communities bear the brunt of pollution without equitable benefits or accountability.

CESJERP reiterates its February 2026 calls, made during the World Day of Social Justice outreach in Lekuma, Tai LGA: There must be full, verifiable, and independent remediation of all polluted sites before any resumption of oil operations in Ogoniland. Plans to restart production in OML 11 without addressing these fundamental issues amount to sacrificing the health and future of Ogoni communities on the altar of profit.

We further tie this urgent demand to the unresolved plight of the displaced Lekuma Ogoni families and surrounding communities in Tai LGA. Over 32 years since the devastating military invasion and destruction of their communities in 1994, thousands remain in a painful state of internal exile in their own land. Homes, farmlands, and ancestral grounds lie in ruins or under threat, with families scattered, denied basic amenities, and still waiting for justice, reconstruction, and return with dignity. The wounds of the past have not healed, yet new threats of oil-related activities loom without addressing these historical injustices.

We demand immediate and decisive action from the Federal Government and NIOC/NNPC:

1. Halt all moves toward oil resumption in OML 11 and affected Ogoni areas until comprehensive, transparent, and community-validated remediation is completed, in line with international standards and the spirit of the Ogoni Bill of Rights.
2. Institute urgent cleanup and environmental restoration of Kpean and other polluted sites, with independent monitoring involving credible civil society and community representatives.
3. Provide immediate relief, compensation, and potable water to affected families in Kpean and across impacted communities for destroyed livelihoods, health impacts, and ongoing suffering.
4. Address the Lekuma displacement crisis through concrete steps toward reconstruction, compensation, and safe return of the displaced families after more than two decades of exile.
5. Declare a genuine state of environmental emergency in Ogoniland and commit resources to holistic restoration that prioritizes people over production.

The Easter message is clear: suffering does not have the final word. New life and justice can rise from devastation. The Ogoni people have waited long enough. Half-measures and delays are no longer acceptable. CESJERP stands ready to engage constructively but will continue to amplify the voices of the voiceless and hold duty-bearers accountable until these demands are met.

Signed:

Comrade Wisdom Kagbara
Director
Centre for Social Justice and Environmental Rights Protections (CESJERP)

Centre for Social Justice and Environmental Rights Protection (CESJERP)
Daily Briefing
Date: February 24, 2026

Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

Urgent: Worsening Injustice in the Niger Delta Demands Immediate Action

The Niger Delta continues to suffer severe environmental devastation, health crises, and economic marginalization despite generating Nigeria’s oil wealth. Host communities face polluted water, degraded lands, gas flaring surges post-divestment, and neglect of basic infrastructure.

Key Concerns Today:
Sharp rise in gas flaring in Oyigbo, Akwa Ibom, and other areas, causing toxic pollution and health risks.
Slow progress on ecological remediation, shoreline protection, and pollution cleanups despite government pledges.
Growing corporate-community tensions over welfare neglect and unfair benefit-sharing.
Persistent poverty, unemployment, and insecurity amid unaddressed root grievances.

CESJERP Demands:
Accelerated cleanups and compensation for affected sites.
Strict enforcement of gas flaring bans with penalties.
Direct, transparent allocation of 13% derivation funds to host communities.
Inclusive community role in energy transition decisions.

The people of the Niger Delta power the nation yet bear its heaviest burdens. Justice demands urgent, concrete action now.

Wisdom Kagbara
Director
CESJERP

Contact us:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +234 806 758 2490
X (Twitter):
Address: No 4 Odoni Street, Old GRA, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria
For inquiries or to report incidents, please contact us.

Solidarity Speech: World Day of Social Justice; Standing with Lekuma Ogoni Commuities(Ogoni Special Area)
20th February, 2026

Distinguished guests, community leaders, partners from the Ken Saro-Wiwa Foundation, Eco Safe Initiative, Bugdit, fellow advocates, residents of Lekuma Ogoni Communities Special Area, and all who stand for justice,

Today, on this World Day of Social Justice, the Centre for Social Justice and Environmental Rights Protections (CERSJEP) stands in deep solidarity with the resilient people of Lekuma Ogoni Communities Special Area in Ogoni, Tai Local Government Area, Rivers State.

For over two decades—more than 20 long years—the people of Lekuma Ogoni Communities and surrounding Ogoni communities have endured what can only be described as exile in their own land. Forced from ancestral homes by a painful history of environmental devastation from oil activities, military repression, community conflicts, boundary disputes, and the lingering scars of pollution that destroyed farmlands, mangroves, rivers, and livelihoods, entire families became displaced. Homes turned to ruins, communities scattered as refugees within Nigeria and beyond some seeking safety in neighboring countries. This was not mere relocation; it was a profound exile from identity, culture, and belonging, robbing generations of security, dignity, and hope.

Yet today, we celebrate a powerful moment of return. The people of Lekuma Ogoni Communities have come home. This return is a testament to unbreakable resilience, unyielding spirit, and the enduring demand for justice that echoes the legacy of Ken Saro-Wiwa and the Ogoni struggle. You have reclaimed your space, not just physically, but symbolically, affirming that no marginalization, no pollution, no repression can forever silence or erase a people rooted in their soil.

But return alone is not enough. True social justice demands more than symbolic homecoming. It requires urgent, concrete action to heal the wounds of the past and build a future of inclusion.

We call for immediate relief; humanitarian support to address basic needs: clean water, safe shelter, healthcare, and food security in a land still scarred by oil spills and environmental neglect.

We demand empowerment through education, skills training, and community led initiatives that restore dignity to the people, especially women, youth, and the elderly who bore the heaviest burdens of displacement.

We advocate for economic inclusion; access to sustainable livelihoods, fair compensation for historical losses, opportunities in green restoration (like mangrove replanting), alternative energy, agriculture revival, and equitable participation in any resource decisions affecting Ogoni land. No more extraction without restitution; no development that leaves communities behind.

And crucially, we must prioritize psychosocial needs. The trauma of forced exile, loss of loved ones, destroyed homes, and decades of uncertainty has left deep emotional and mental scars. Counseling, community healing programs, trauma support, and cultural reconnection initiatives are essential to mend broken spirits and rebuild social bonds. No one should carry this pain alone.

On this World Day of Social Justice, under the theme of Renewed Commitment to Social Development; Empowering Ogoni Inclusion and Social Justice, CERSJEP recommits to partnering with Lekuma Ogoni Communities and all marginalized Ogoni communities. We stand with you in demanding accountability from government, oil companies, and all stakeholders. We call on authorities to halt any resumption of activities without full environmental cleanup, genuine dialogue, and community consent. Justice delayed is justice denied—but justice delivered transforms lives.

To the people of Lekuma Ogoni Communities: Your survival is our inspiration. Your return is our shared victory. Your future must be one of equity, healing, and prosperity.

Together, let us bridge every gap—environmental, economic, social, and emotional. Let inclusion be not a slogan, but a lived reality.

Solidarity forever!
Justice for Lekuma Ogoni Communities!
Justice for Ogoni!
Justice for all marginalized voices!

Thank you, and may this day renew our collective resolve.

Wisdom Kagbara
Director
Centre for Social Justice and Environmental Rights Protections (CERSJEP)

Public Invitation!
Join us for an impactful Advocacy Outreach in the LEKUMA OGONI AREA COMMUNITIES (Ogoni Special Area) as we commemorate World Environment Day!

Date: Friday February 20, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM
Venue: LEKUMA OGONI AREA COMMUNITIES

Theme: Renewed Commitment to Social Justice; Empowering Ogoni Inclusion and Environmental Rights.

This is a call to stand together for justice, a cleaner environment, and the rightful inclusion of the Ogoni people in decisions affecting their land, livelihoods, and future.

Come share your voice, learn, connect, and take action for environmental justice in Ogoniland!
All are welcome, community members, youth, advocates, and supporters.
See you there!

Wisdom Kagbara
Director
Centre For Social Justice and Environmental Rights Protections