Africa (Commonwealth Union) _ The decision by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to establish five mini–Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plants in Kogi State without siting any in Urhobo land has sparked outrage among Urhobo leaders, who have condemned the move as unjust and oppressive. The National Chairman of Urhobo Oil and Gas Nationality (UROAGAN), Dr. Obiuwevbi Ominimini, has called on President Bola Tinubu and the NNPCL to reconsider the project’s implementation, insisting that the Urhobo people, who sit atop one of the largest reserves of natural gas and crude oil in Nigeria, deserve direct benefits from the resources extracted from their land.
Dr. Ominimini criticized the decision to run a gas pipeline from Urhobo land to Kogi while bypassing the Urhobo Nation as a host for any of the mini-LNG plants. He lamented that, despite the region’s vast contributions to Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, its people continue to suffer environmental degradation, economic marginalization, and a lack of developmental projects. The pollution caused by oil exploitation has devastated farmlands and fishing grounds, leaving many Urhobo youths unemployed or forced into menial jobs like commercial motorcycle riding.
Furthermore, he decried the lack of compensation or environmental remediation efforts for the Urhobo Nation, comparing its plight to the long-neglected Ogoni land. He pointed out that even the penalties paid by International Oil Companies (IOCs) for gas flaring, which has been linked to severe health conditions, do not benefit the Urhobo people. Meanwhile, regions with solid minerals such as gold and lithium are allowed to benefit directly from their resources, while Urhobo oil and gas wealth is extracted for the collective use of the entire country, he argued.
Calling for equity, Dr. Ominimini urged the federal government and NNPCL to establish at least one of the mini-LNG plants in Urhobo land. He emphasized that industrial projects should be located near their raw material sources for efficiency and cost-effectiveness. He also noted that Urhobo land has strategic access to the sea, with functional seaports in Sapele and Warri, which could facilitate LNG exports.
The frustration among the Urhobo people is not new. UROAGAN had previously appealed to the federal government in 2024 to establish LNG plants in Ughelli North and Ethiope West in Delta State, but their calls were ignored. Now, with the announcement of the Kogi project, the Urhobo leadership has vowed to resist the exclusion through legal and spiritual means, stating that their patience has run out.
Last week, NNPCL defended the initiative, stating that the mini-LNG plants in Ajaokuta, Kogi State, are part of a broader strategy to expand domestic gas utilization, boost energy access, and create jobs. However, the Urhobo leaders argue that such benefits should not come at the expense of their community, which continues to suffer environmental and economic hardships despite being a major contributor to Nigeria’s energy wealth.
The escalating tensions highlight the broader issue of resource control and regional equity in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector. If the government fails to address these grievances, it risks deepening the sense of disenfranchisement among the Urhobo people, further straining relations between oil-producing communities and the central government.
