The Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization expresses its full support for the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), following President Fegalo Nsuke’s recent call for calm and constructive dialogue concerning proposed oil operations in Ogoni.
In his address in Bori on May 19, 2025, the traditional headquarters of the Ogoni people, President Nsuke warned against attempts to forcefully resume oil production in the region without consulting local communities or addressing long-standing environmental and social injustices. He urged the Ogoni population to remain peaceful despite provocations, expressing confidence that the Nigerian government will choose a path of restraint and engagement rather than confrontation.
Ogoniland, a region of roughly 1,000 km² located in Rivers State, once a fertile area known for agriculture and fishing, has been devastated by decades of oil extraction, gas flaring, and pollution. Once considered the “food basket” of the Niger Delta, the area now faces eroded farmlands, contaminated waterways, and declining food production. The Ogoni have deep ancestral ties to their lands, which hold not only economic value but immense cultural and spiritual significance. Their livelihoods as farmers and fishers are intricately linked to the rivers, streams, and fertile lands of the Niger Delta. However, since the discovery of oil in the 1950s, Ogoniland has become a site of systematic environmental degradation and human rights violations. The region’s once-thriving agricultural productivity has been severely curtailed due to relentless oil spills, gas flaring, and contamination of water bodies, activities driven by an oil industry that generates over 90% of Nigeria’s export revenues but leaves local communities impoverished and disenfranchised.
Oil companies operating in the Niger Delta have long failed to clean up spills or invest in restoration. Farmlands are no longer viable, rivers have lost their fish populations, and basic livelihoods have been destroyed. In many areas, people are forced to rely on imported food and water due to the environmental destruction.
President Nsuke emphasized that forced oil resumption could result in serious reputational damage for the government and create avoidable instability ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 elections. He called on the federal government to accept MOSOP’s offer of dialogue, framing it as a necessary step toward a lasting and just resolution of the Ogoni issue.
UNPO applauds MOSOP’s leadership for standing firm on principles of peace and rights, and we stand in steadfast solidarity with the Ogoni people in their quest for justice, environmental protection, and meaningful inclusion. We believe this approach reflects the strength and dignity of the Ogoni people and sets an important example of peaceful resistance and constructive advocacy.
The Ogoni case serves as a critical example of what happens when indigenous communities are excluded from decisions about their land and resources. It highlights the urgent need for governments and corporations to respect the right to self-determination, to obtain free, prior and informed consent, and to ensure that local voices are at the heart of any development process.
UNPO calls on the Nigerian government to listen to the voices of the Ogoni people, halt any plans to resume oil operations by force, and engage in meaningful dialogue with MOSOP and relevant stakeholders.
