Members of the Egi community in Rivers state's Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local government area are taking on multinational oil firms for ecological and health justice after at least 60 years of operation in their area. The call came during a town hall meeting hosted by We the People as part of its ongoing Community Dialogue series, which aims…

On this World Environment Day, We the People calls on the government of Cross River State to immediately make policies and establish frameworks aimed at protecting the remaining rainforest and mangroves located in the state. We note that Cross River state has the largest remaining natural rainforests in Nigeria. Most of these areas have been protected…

Concerned with the rising marginalization of young people in Nigeria’s democratic process and the routine abuse of their rights, We the People with the support of the European Union has initiated a project- #IncludeNaija- aimed at reversing the trend and ensuring that Nigerian youths participate more intensely and actively in the country’s leadership; and are better…

On May 14, 2025, We the People met with women leaders, clan head, advisers, and youth leaders from the Mfamosing community in Cross River state, where French limestone quarrying company and cement giant LaFarge has been carrying out limestone mining with serious ecological and social impacts. The purpose of the engagement was to publicly introduce We…

On Friday, May 9, 2025, We the People inaugurated the fourth cohort of its Rights Academy at the Conference Hall, We the People, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, welcoming 22 students into the 15-week training and mentorship fellowship. The Rights Academy is focused on nurturing young activists and campaigners committed to addressing ecological crises and rights…

In commemoration of the International Human Rights Day, We the People organized a capacity strengthening workshop on December 10, 2024, for 30 community women focused on identifying and addressing ecological injustice.  The event which held in Calabar, Cross River state highlighted that women experience increased marginalization and are disproportionately impacted by ecological risks, including those stemming…

On the 10th of November 1995, the Nigerian military junta headed by General Sani Abacha authorized the hanging of Ken Saro-Wiwa, Saturday Dobee, Nordu Eawo, Daniel Gbooko, Paul Levera, Felix Nuate, Baribor Bera, Barinem Kiobel, and John Kpuine. The 9 were instrumental in mobilizing Ogonis under the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP), and…

On the 23rd of September, We the People partnered Tipping Point, Bertha Foundation, War on Want, the People’s Health Tribunal, and Climate Reparations to host a webinar titled “Stop Shell, Reparations for the Niger Delta.  The event centered on holding Shell accountable for decades of environmental devastation and degradation in Nigeria’s Niger Delta, dating back to…

On September 3, 2024, We the People held a townhall meeting in Ikarama community, Bayelsa State, following the release of the second episode of its podcast documenting the devastating impact of oil extraction in the community and the culpability of Shell and Agip-Eni, the operating oil companies. The gathering included community chiefs and a wide cross-section…

‘Living with Oil’ examines the true cost of oil extraction in the Niger Delta and makes a case for accountability from multinational oil companies. Play video

In the last 2 decades, Nigeria has witnessed an alarming rise in state backed attempts to stifle the civic space, regulate and restrict civil society organizations, criminalize democratic dissent and suffocate freedom of assembly and expression. At the federal level, there have been at least eight legislative attempts to stifle the civic space and restrict the…

On July 23, 2024, We the People held a townhall meeting in Otuabagi community, Bayelsa State, following the release of a podcast documenting the devastating impact of oil extraction in the region and the culpability of Shell, the operating oil company. The event brought together a diverse group of community members, including community chiefs, executive committee…

On July 18, 2024, We the People and the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) held a one-day training for activists and environmental Monitors in Port Harcourt, Rivers state.  The meeting with the theme  ‘From Monitoring to Resistance Eco-Defending as a Resistanace Movement’ aimed to equip civil society, media, and community members with skills to critically…

Concerned with the continued loss of forest in Cross River state, We the People on the 6 th of June, 2024, a organized a roundtable with environment and conservation stakeholders focused on developing strategies and partnerships for forest protection in the State. The meeting drew participation from government ministries and agencies including the state Forestry Commission…

In Nigeria, particularly in the ecologically sensitive Niger Delta, the threat to ecosystems is substantial and alarming. The region faces significant challenges from environmental degradation due to oil exploitation, deforestation, and land mismanagement which is significantly affecting the livelihoods and survival of local communities. As climate change intensifies, it reinforces ecological challenges communities undergo, posing a…

International oil companies Shell, ExxonMobil, Chevron, Eni-Agip and Total Energies have identified buyers to take over their onshore oil operations in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. These companies are walking away after nearly 7 decades of reckless oil extraction that has generated hundreds of billions of dollars for their shareholders, but has left the indigenous…

The Petroleum Industry Act was passed in 2021, following more than two decades of legislative efforts to modernise Nigeria's petroleum sector legislation. A significant element of the PIA focuses on community participation and benefit sharing within the sector.While the Act provides that 3% of oil companies' operational costs will be spent on community development, other provisions…

As part of our efforts to celebrate the International Day of Forests, We the People organised a town hall meeting on March 21, 2024, in the Idundu community of Cross River state. The main objective of the meeting was to raise awareness about the importance of mangroves and emphasise the need to protect this vital ecosystem…

As oil companies in Nigeria's Niger Delta divest from onshore assets and expand their deep sea extraction activities, We the People has launched a series of community engagement forums with the goal of holding the companies accountable and demanding that they clean up the mess they have created in the region. The engagements also seek responsibility…

As part of a bigger movement to hold oil giants accountable for their environmental atrocities, We the People On February 27, 2024, held a webinar on the theme "Examining Oil Company Divestment and Insurance for Fossil Extraction in Nigeria: Ecological and Human Rights Concerns". The webinar sought to investigate the true motivations behind oil firms' hasty divestment decisions…

While the Petroleum Industry Act passed in 2021, contains key provisions aimed at addressing long standing development challenges in oil producing communities in Nigeria, several provisions on the other hand have the potential to cause disaffection and conflict between oil firms and host communities. For the example, provisions for the establishment and management of the Host…

On the 20th of October, 2023, We the People held a webinar with the title, “The Revolution Next Time: Police Reforms and Accountability for Atrocities Since the #EndSARS Protests”. The virtual conference aimed at examining the level of reforms that have taken place since the nationwide protests that took place in 2020. The #EndSARS protests was…

On the 25th-27th July, 2023 We the People organized a learning and exchange workshop for forest, oil, gas and solid mineral extractive communities in the Niger Delta. Recent research and advocacy engagements by the organization has unraveled similarities in the economic and social patterns of extractives activities in various communities in the Niger Delta, irrespective of…

Text of Press Briefing 4 th September, 2023.   Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen of the Media, you are welcome to this Press Briefing organized by We the People and Development Concern (DEVCON). We have recently become aware that the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development has granted mining rights to 2 companies;  Abdulrasaq & Co…

  On the 1st of September, 2023, We the People hosted a webinar with communities, experts and CSOs to dissect the Petroleum Industry Act; an Act often hailed as a model for driving benefits to oil producing communities. The Nigeria Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) was enacted in August 2021 with the objective of creating a more…

Communique Issued at the End of a Virtual Consultative Meeting with Stakeholders on the Deforestation in Cross River State, with the Theme ‘Framing Strategies for Ending Deforestation and Protecting Wildlife in the Cross River State Forest’ on the 21st of July, 2023. The meeting was organized as a space for civil society actors and other traditional…

Communities in the Niger Delta have been faced with annual climate change induced floodssince 2012. The floods have led to the loss of lives, displacement of residents, destruction ofhomes, and disruption of livelihoods. Unfortunately, governments at the national and subnational levels have not been responsive in developing effective adaptation and mitigationstrategies to reduce adverse impacts occasioned…

In a thought-provoking webinar organized by We the People and held on the 8th of June 2023, renowned experts and activists shed light on the need for accountability in the moves by oil companies in Nigeria to divest their onshore and shallow water assets. At the webinar titled ‘DIRTY EXIT: EXAMINING THE DOWNSIDE OF OIL COMPANY…

On the 13 th of May, 2023, oil impacted communities across Africa and thousands of climate justice activists joined the People’s Heath Tribunal to hear testimonies from frontline communities on the negative impacts of extractivism on their health, environment and livelihoods. The event which was organized by a coalition of organizations including We the People, People’s…