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…

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…

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)…

  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…

  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…

  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…