The Director-General, National Oil Spillage Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), Chief Chukwuemeka Woke, has urged the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) to mitigate the impact of oil leaks from its facilities on local communities.
Woke made the call on Monday, December 16, 2024, when he led the agency’s management team on an emergency evaluation tour of oil spill sites from an SPDC facility in Bonny Island, Rivers State.
He said that the emergency visit was aimed to evaluate SPDC’s efforts in managing the recent oil spill which had already affected the Oyorokoto community in Andoni Local Government Area.
During the visit, discussions centered around the effectiveness of SPDC’s initial intervention and ongoing measures to contain and mitigate the spill
The NOSDRA helmsman commended SPDC for its proactive steps towards containing the incident, and reiterated the importance of preventing further spread.
“Our presence here ahead of the Joint Investigation meeting underscores our commitment towards addressing the containment strategies.
“It is imperative to assess both the immediate measures and the long-term plans to manage and remediate the effects of the spill,” he said.
Woke restated NOSDRA’s dual roles of environmental stewardship and rapid response capability.
He highlighted the agency’s recent provisional approval for the use of dispersants to control the spill, and emphasised its dedication to minimise ecological damage through collaborations with industry partners.
Also speaking, Dr Sola Oladipo, the Director, Planning, Policy Analysis and Research, said that NOSDRA was focused on preventing further environmental degradation and safeguarding national interests.
In response, Abatam Nwosu, the Commander, Emergency Response at Shell Nigeria, reiterated SPDC’s commitment towards prioritising community safety and environmental protection.
“Our protocols are stringent, focusing first on human safety and environmental integrity. We have begun multiple responsive actions, including containment via maritime vessels.
“Although pinpointing leak origins in open waters is complex, we are working in alignment with NOSDRA, especially in conducting source analysis,” he said.
Nwosu said that there was need for analytical sampling on the spill to ascertain its true origin because of multiple operational activities offshore.
By Desmond Ejibas
