The President of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP), Prof. Olu Andah Wai-Ogosu, has said that the three per cent allocation to host communities under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) is inadequate to address the environmental devastation and socio-economic challenges faced by oil-producing communities in the Niger Delta.
Wai-Ogosu made the assertion while speaking at a conference on the Petroleum Industry Act held at Rivers State University, Port Harcourt. The event was organised by the Centre for Advanced Legal Research (CARL) in partnership with the Habitat Protection and Sustainability Development Initiative (HAPSDI).
The MOSOP president, who attended the event as a Special Guest, spoke on the theme, “Building Peace in the Fire 2026: Extractive Industries, Environmental Justice, and Community Peace.”
He said the three per cent Host Community Development Trust (HCDT) provision in the PIA could not deliver justice to oil-producing communities, particularly those whose environment had been severely damaged by decades of oil exploration.
According to him, any planned review of the PIA by the Federal Government must address the structural inequalities embedded in Nigeria’s oil economy.
Wai-Ogosu noted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s indication that aspects of the PIA may be reviewed, particularly concerning the direct remittance of petroleum revenues to the Federation Account, would only be meaningful if it resulted in tangible benefits for host communities.
He stressed that reforms should go beyond administrative adjustments and focus on healing the environmental damage caused by oil operations, restoring livelihoods and addressing what he described as decades of injustice suffered by oil-bearing communities.
“If the review of the PIA fails to tackle the deep-rooted inequities in Nigeria’s oil industry, it will amount to little more than administrative reshuffling while leaving the core issues of exploitation unresolved,” he said.
Wai-Ogosu urged lawmakers and policymakers to ensure that any review of the PIA leads to a more equitable framework that promotes sustainable development and genuine collaboration between host communities and the Federal Government.
He also commended the keynote speaker and Chair of CARL, Prof. L. L. Worika, for his insightful lecture on petroleum law, expressing hope that research and advocacy from institutions like CARL would help drive reforms that prioritise the interests of local communities.
The MOSOP leader further praised the organisers of the conference, HAPSDI, led by Mr. Menidin Paul Egbo and Mr. Collins Lebeteh Kenneth, for their advocacy on environmental protection and community rights, expressing confidence that the conference would stimulate discussions aimed at reforming the Petroleum Industry Act.
