Crude oil: Why Niger Delta region must adopt cleaner energy

The Niger Delta region has continued to suffer environmental challenges as a result of oil production in communities across the region.

The oil exploration in the region has become a setback as the natural resource, which was supposed to serve as a blessing, has become a challenge following incessant oil spills and environmental degradation which have resulted in the loss of nutrients in farm lands, displacements, poor crop yields and other environmental disasters.

Also, many communities have lost their sources of livelihood and homes as a result of which many people have been displaced.

Experts have called for remediation of the land among other actions that will help address the challenges.

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An oil surveillance contractor, Tantita Securities Services, said communities in the Niger region can now use their vegetation to generate wealth through carbon capture technology, which is far safer and environmentally friendlier than crude oil.

The Executive Director Operations and Technical, Captain Warredi Enisuoh, stated that the company has started sensitising and mobilising Niger Delta communities to forget about crude oil and its attendant ecosystem destruction and embrace a cleaner energy source of wealth creation.

Captain Enisuoh, who stated this while speaking on a sub-theme, ‘Infrastructural Protection’, at the Pan-Ijaw Summit in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, recently, said it was high time Niger Delta communities looked beyond oil and gas and embraced carbon capture technology.

“You cannot remove socio-economic problems from security problems. And we are also here to market an ideal carbon emission alternative as the way forward; we have a lot of trees in this area, which we can use to generate a lot of income.”

“There are companies around the world that are ready to partner with regions like this on greener energy to participate in exchange for green development to participate in industrial development that will not further create carbon emissions and increase global warming that will further affect the health of the people in the region,” he said.

While noting that communities should not go into the breaking of pipelines but find other sources of income from the environment, he said the communities are very rich in mangroves and trees, of which one tree alone can absorb about 80 kilogrammes of Co2 in a year and that’s quite a lot of money.

“If you have thousands of these trees in your community that capture carbon capacity, your community can export it for money or development instead of breaking pipelines that will further degrade the environment, which you cannot use for farming, for fishing, drinking and others,” he said.

He, however, said since their company began operations in the Niger Delta, crude production has witnessed a turnaround improvement, as statistics available have shown.

Meanwhile, some residents of Ovom community in Yenagoa, have said that greener energy is the most sought-after, especially in the Niger Delta communities that have been degraded over the years due to oil exploration and exploitation.

A resident, Kingsley Ebikara, said it was high time the communities embraced greener energy, if the Niger Delta environment is to survive the numerous pollutants from oil and gas exploration and preserve its ecosystem.

Already, Adagbabiri community in Sagbama Local Government Area has intensified tree planting exercises in order to extract greener energy and attract abundant wealth.

Speaking during the launching of a roadside tree planting/Community sensitisation campaign towards greening Bayelsa State and mitigating climate change in the community recently, the Amadaowei of Adagbabiri community, HRH Broadrick Alaowei Okee, urged the residents to plant more trees to ease hash effects of oil exploration and environmental damage.

The king, who expressed gratitude that the exercise is starting in his community, also gave his permission to kick-start the programme in his domain.

He urged the government to ensure a well-packaged follow-up plan in making sure the trees are well-natured for a greener environment.

Bayelsa State Commissioner for Environment, Hon. Ebi Ben Ololo, who performed the tree planting exercise in Adagbabiri Community, which was organised by the Tree for Tomorrow Initiative in Collaboration with Bayelsa State Ministry Environment and NGOs, said the exercise will be extended to other communities in the state, especially those suffering from climate change and other environmental issues.

He emphasised the importance of planting trees, which, he said, serve as catalysts to filtering the already polluted air with the potential of trapping excess carbon in circulation, resulting in heat waves and ocean rise amongst other disasters.

While highlighting the health benefits connected with the green state policy of the government, Ololo stated that this is the first phase of the greening plan and that government is committed to doing more to transfer a healthy environment to the younger generations as time progresses.

He also called on Adagbabiri community and residents alike to own the project, stating that with patience and love for the environment, Bayelsans will certainly testify to the indispensable benefits of tree planting and bequeath a healthy environment to the next generation.

The Executive Director, Trees for Tomorrow initiative, Chief B. S. Okolo, said the Trees for Tomorrow initiative is a non-governmental organisation that is championing the creation of awareness, and motivating policymakers and community members on the need to plant trees.