President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, to immediately begin engagements with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.), Ogoni communities, and other stakeholders to restart oil production in Ogoniland.
The President gave the order on Wednesday at the State House, Abuja, while receiving the report of the Presidential Committee on Ogoni Consultations, chaired by Prof. Don Baridam. The delegation was led by Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State.
Oil exploration in Ogoniland was halted in 1993 following protests over environmental degradation. The crisis culminated in the 1995 execution of writer-activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight others, known as the Ogoni Nine, by the regime of Gen. Sani Abacha.
Posthumous Honours
At the event, Tinubu conferred the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) on four late Ogoni leaders Chief Edward Kobani, Chief Albert Bade, Chief Samuel Orage, and Chief Theophilus Orage collectively referred to as the Ogoni Four.
Sen. Magnus Abe, a member of the delegation, said the recognition “sealed the peace process,” noting that Tinubu had earlier honoured the Ogoni Nine, including Saro-Wiwa.
Tinubu’s Call for Reconciliation
The President commended the committee for its “dedication and wisdom” in guiding a delicate process and urged the Ogoni people to embrace dialogue.
“We are not as a government taking lightly the years of pain endured in Ogoniland. Hope is here. Dead assets are not valuable to the community, the country, and the people. The longer we procrastinate, the greater the losses,” Tinubu said.
He directed the Minister of Environment to work with the NSA to integrate environmental remediation and community development into the broader peace framework.
“I urge Ogoni people across communities and generations to close ranks and put this dark chapter behind us. This reconciliation is not an erasure of history; it is the commitment to write the next chapter together,” he added.
Stakeholders React
NSA Ribadu described the process as “transformational,” noting that an inter-agency task force, including NNPC Ltd., ministries, and the Ogoni Dialogue Committee, would oversee implementation.
Governor Fubara welcomed the move, saying, “Finally, there is every sign that this government is serious about resolving these issues. We will give them the necessary cooperation.”
Committee chair Baridam said the report represented the “collective will of the Ogoni people,” with recommendations including structured participation in oil production, accelerated clean-up, and sustainable development.
Prominent activist Ledum Mitee, a former MOSOP president, called the meeting a “new dawn,” citing plans for employment, a University of Environmental Technology, and an industrial park.
In an emotional reaction, Kenneth Kobani, son of Edward Kobani, thanked Tinubu for honouring his late father. “What the President has done today has shown that Nigeria can be a better place. No matter how long it takes, Ogoni and Nigeria are on the right path,” he said.
