Ogoni: UN Backs Nigeria’s Decision To Carry Out Oil Clean-up

The United Nations on Wednesday welcomed the decision by the Nigerian Government to clean up a major oil contamination in the Ogoniland region in the country.

The decision comes twelve months after the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) presented a scientific assessment of oil pollution in Ogoniland to the Government, underlining serious public health and environmental impacts.
“On the anniversary of the Ogoniland assessment there are now clear and encouraging signals that the Government is keen to move on the recommendations – this is a welcome development for the people and the environment of this region who have suffered, and continue to suffer, the legacy of some 50 years of unsustainable oil exploration and production,” UNEP’s Executive Director, Achim Steiner, said in a news release.
The independent scientific assessment, carried out over a 14-month period, showed greater and deeper pollution than previously thought after an agency team examined more than 200 locations, surveyed 122 kilometres of pipeline rights of way, analyzed 4,000 soil and water samples, reviewed more than 5,000 medical records and engaged over 23,000 people at local community meetings.
The assessment emphasized the need for swift action to prevent the pollution footprint from spreading further and exacerbating the situation for the Ogoni people, and had proposed an initial sum of $1 billion to cover the first five years of clean-up operations.
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