Mercy Ette describes scale of potable water scarcity in Ogoni land as ‘staggering’

Mercy Ette, senior lecturer and visiting scholar, University of Leeds, says the scale of potable “water poverty” in Ogoni, Rivers state, is staggering.

She said the activities of oil companies in Ogoni have resulted in a reduction in the life expectancy of residents. 

Ogoni has not been the same since oil exploration activities commenced in the community in 1958.

Swathes of land and water bodies have been polluted as a consequence. 

This development has left people in the region, who are mostly farmers and fishermen, with no means of livelihood. 

Speaking at an event titled: “Minorities, Indigenous Peoples and the Water Crisis”, and organised by Minority Rights Group International (MRG), Ette bemoaned that besides water, the people of Ogoni lack basic amenities, which has made their lives uncomfortable.

“Nigeria has coastlines, we have rivers, streams, and creeks but the poverty when it comes to water is staggering. For some, just because of poor infrastructure. What made the Ogoni situation heartbreaking – the lack of water – is the outcome of the oil production process,” she said. 

“What was supposed to make their lives better has actually ended up causing them more problems. You have a land with rivers that was the food basket of a town but due to the contamination, residents can’t even make a borehole there anymore.

“People don’t have access to potable water because the land is polluted. And the degradation of the land has such an impact on water resources that they have to buy water packaged in plastic bags.

“The pollution has been recognised by the United Nations in 2009 and oil companies there are more interested in their profit margins than the quality of life of the people.

“Shell in particular has its own community and the people (the locals) are now outsiders in their own land. The level of water pollution is such that the life expectancy of the Ogoni is very low. It is about 40 – 45 years old.

“Because oil is the mainstay of the economy, the state would rather side with the multinationals than defend the people. So, it is an ongoing battle.”

Ette said the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) had commissioned a project to carry out an environmental assessment of Ogoni communities, adding that their recommendation called for emergency measures to restore the land.

She said the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), a government agency set up in 2017, is currently prioritising the provision of potable water in Ogoni-land, adding that six water scheme contracts were awarded in March 2021.

“If the contractors deliver these projects, Ogoni people may eventually regain access to safe drinking water,” she said.

“However, after two years, not a single source of potable water is to be found anywhere in Ogoni-land, only gigantic water infrastructure without a drop of water in them.

“In addition to the provision of drinkable water, HYPREP has other mandates which include: remediation of soil, groundwater and swamps; provision of sustainable means of livelihoods; public health assessments; restoration.”