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…
At a conference on Loss and Damage held on May 9, 2023 and organized by We the People, renowned experts, activists and members of frontline communities discuss critical perspectives on Loss and Damage. The conference shed light on the origins of the Loss and Damage conversation, the ongoing international debate around it, and the urgent need…
Concerned by the state of the Niger Delta region and the several issues that plague it, frontline civil society organizations- Health of Mother Earth Foundation, We the People and OilWatch Africa have held the Niger Delta Alternatives Convergence, a gathering of civil society organisations, socio-cultural and political groups, academics, traditional rulers, and individuals from the…
Oil Companies are not Divesting in Nigeria, they are Fleeing Accountability and Justice Being text of a media briefing by We the People during the presentation of its new report ‘Dirty Exit’ in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. 15th April, 2023. Distinguished ladies and gentlemen of the media, we welcome you to this media briefing specifically organized…
Concerned with the deteriorating human and ecological rights situation in Nigeria, We the People has launched a Rights Academy in the Niger Delta city of Calabar to strengthen the capacity of a range of actors to respond to rights abuses. The Academy brings together 17 passionate young people who will be trained for 12 weeks…
On the 19th - 21st of February 2023, We the People engaged representatives of oil producing and impacted communities in the Niger Delta in a training workshop. The Workshop aimed at strengthening the capacity of oil producing members to engage the Nigeria’s new Petroleum Industry Act, identify the gaps and challenges associated with the hurried divestment…
Concerned with the obvious absence of climate change and environmental issues in the conversations leading up to the 2023 general elections in Nigeria, three frontline environmental organizations in Nigeria- Health of Mother Earth Foundation, We the People, and Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa- on the 7th of February 2023, held a Town Hall Meeting for…
We the People recently learnt that the Rivers state House of Assembly was considering a Bill mandating Civil Society Organizations in the state to pass through an additional level of registration with the state government. The Bill amongst others, requires CSOs operating in, or that have any dealings in Rivers State, to register with a ‘Registry’…
Concerned with the rising spate of deforestation in Cross River State, southern Nigeria, We the People on the 6th December, 2022 held a Multi-Stakeholder Conference on Deforestation in the state capital Calabar. Recall that in 2008, arising from an environmental summit, the Cross River state government had instituted a ban on all forest activities, specifically targeting…
In continuation of its campaign to hold oil companies accountable for ecological damage caused by their activities in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, We the People on the 23 rd of November 2022, held a Multi-Stakeholder Conference to address the subject of divestment by multinational oil companies. The Conference which held in the city…
On the 5th of October 2022, We the People steered a conversation on the theme of ‘No Divestment Without Restoration’. The audience, made up of concerned activists, journalists, and committed stakeholders met at the Centre for Social Studies and Development in Port Harcourt to discuss the trends arising from the decision of International Oil Companies (IOCs)…
Text of Press Conference Organized by We the People and the Rainforest Resources and Development Centre on the Spate of Deforestation in the Cross River Forests. 5th September 2022. Calabar. Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen of the Media, and civil society organizations, we thank you deeply for finding the time to attend this briefing. Like most citizens…
On the 15th of August 2022, We the People and partners continued their Divestment Dialogue at Ibeno community, this time focused on ExxonMobil’s plan to sell-off its oil assets and leave the community. The Ibeno people not only raised alarm that the company is about to leave behind several decades’ worth of environmental degradation and…
Joinkrama Community is a vivid example of the negative impacts of oil extraction on people. Joinkrama is a collection of 4 settlements located in Ahoada West local government area of Rivers state. It lies along the Orashi river which cuts through many parts of the community and provides support for fishing and farming which is…
Concerned by growing environmental, livelihood and climate change threats facing the Niger Delta region, civil society organizations, oil producing community members, academics and leaders drawn from the Niger Delta gathered in the city of Uyo, the Akwa Ibom state capital on the 23rd of June 2022 to articulate the different issues and develop a strategy…
Press Statement The Community of Practice Against Mass Atrocities in Nigeria, under the auspices of Nigeria Mourns, unequivocally condemns the vile atrocities committed against worshippers at the St Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State on the 5th of June 2022. We mourn these deaths as we extend our heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the bereaved…
By Ken Henshaw First published on New Internationalist The two largest transnational oil companies operating in Nigeria’s Niger Delta, Shell and ExxonMobil, are packing up and leaving. Both companies have announced separate plans to sell off their assets as soon as they find buyers and to leave the Niger Delta, where they have extracted crude oil…
On the 23 rd of April 2022, another artisanal refining site in the Niger Delta exploded, killing over 100 persons and injuring dozens. The explosion which occurred near Ohaji-Egbema local government area of Imo state, on the border with Rivers State, also burnt off large sections of the adjoining forest, seriously impacting the environment and…
Press Statement Issued by Civil Society Organisations Across Nigeria We, as civil society organisations and citizen groups across Nigeria note with concern the worsening state of insecurity in Nigeria. We, therefore, call on the government to take urgent steps to fulfil its constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and property as enunciated in Section 14 (2) (b)…
In this interview, Ken Henshaw explains why Nigerians are demanding reparations for over 60 years of Shell oil extraction (First published on Open Democracy) Ken Henshaw is the executive director of We the People, a non-governmental organisation based in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Henshaw works closely with local communities to expand civic engagement and organise…
On the 9th of March 2022, the Health of Mother Earth Foundation and We the People invited Niger Delta communities and civil society activists to a one-day conversation on the recently approved Nigerian Petroleum Industry Act. The event which held at the Ken Saro Wiwa Centre in Port Harcourt, also provided an open space to…
By Kehinde Ogunyale of We the People’s Communication Team The latest Corruption Perceptions Index ranking by global anti-corruption watchdog, Transparency International has placed Nigeria as the second most corrupt country in West Africa. Nigeria tops the list of 15 most corrupt countries in the region. Transparency International revealed that Nigeria scored 24 out of 100…
On the 13thof December 2021, We the People hosted a delegation of community activists and climate justice campaigners from Senegal in its Port Harcourt office. The exchange visit which is part of We the People’s plan to collaboratively establish a West Africa Climate Justice Movement, provided an opportunity for climate and environmental activists from both countries…
At a Town Hall Meeting in Calabar held on the 22nd of November 2021, We the People publicly presented its latest research publication focused on the phenomenon of street children in Calabar, a phenomenon which has achieved atrocious notoriety. The report which is the product of painstaking research over a period of 1 year makes profonde…
On the 22 nd of October 2021, a select group of Ogoni leaders attended a parley at State House with President Muhammadu Buhari. Among other issues, the President stated that the ‘federal government will consider the request for the grant of pardon to finally close the Ogoni saga’. The President made this commitment to ‘consider’ a…
On the 20th of August 2021, following an Appeal Court ruling denying Shell ownership and access to OML 11 mostly located around the area of the Ogoni ethnic nationality, and handing same over to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, a statement from the NNPC has instructed the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, NPDC to immediately take…
Following extensive research conducted by We the People on the negative impacts of oil extraction on communities of the Niger Delta, a validation town hall meeting was held in Port Harcourt on the 23rd of August, 2021. The meeting which brought together stakeholders from various oil and gas producing communities across the region, featured narratives and…
Distinguished ladies and Gentlemen of the Media, The current version of the Petroleum Industry Bill failed to address community, economic and environmental concerns. We have convened this briefing and dialogue to review the state of our environment including the contentious PIB. Recall that only a few days ago, Nigeria’s Federal House of Representatives passed the…
Cross River state has the largest remaining forests in Nigeria. While the country has lost 0ver 90% of its original forest cover, an estimated 50% of what remains is in the forests of Cross River state. In 2008, a unilateral state government moratorium on use of forest products resulted in the adoption of the United…
Rivers state, among other states in the Niger Delta region has become notorious for the occurrence of atrocious killings. In the last 5 years at least, there has been a steady rise in the prominence of killings perpetrated by state and non state actors, once again highlighting Rivers state as a major flashpoint for these…
#NigeriaBleeds Following its sharp increase of 43% in mass atrocities 2020, Nigeria has continued to experience a decline in security across the nation. In the first quarter of 2021(January to March), we recorded an all-time quarterly high of almost 2000 fatalities from mass atrocities incidents across the country. This week, across the 6 geopolitical zones, there…
A Conversation with Chairman of the Cross River State Forestry Commission …Responsible for the largest remaining forest in Nigeria, and destination of REDD+ We the People: Our researches indicate a high rate of logging in the reserved forests of Cross River state, which will in turn reinforce climate change impacts. What is the state government’s response…
On the 26th of March 2021, We the People and partner, Policy Alert held a Niger Delta Regional Conference on the Petroleum Industry Bill 2020 to presents findings from its review of the Bill and engagements with communities in the Niger Delta. In his Keynote remarks, the Public Relations Officer of the Pan Niger Delta Forum…
*This chat with the Executive Director of We the People was conducted by Budgit on Twitter and first published on Medium in October 2020 The challenges of benefit transfer to host communities in oil producing states is certainly not a new conversation. In fact, the discourse has been a laser focus in recent years, with perceptive…
In contribution to the ongoing national legislative conversation on the Petroleum Industry Bill 2020, We the People led a delegation of oil producing communities and CSO to the Public Hearing at the National Assembly. We presented a Memo containing concerns with the Bill and recommendations. Download Full Report
