NED 2026: S4C, NEITI, NOSDRA convene stakeholders over Bille environmental crisis

Mercy Iheoma Ihedigbo

Stakeholders in Nigeria’s extractive sector are set to converge in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, for the fifth edition of the National Extractives Dialogue (NED 2026), with the environmental crisis affecting Bille Kingdom expected to take centre stage.

The two-day dialogue, scheduled for September 29–30, 2026, is being convened by Spaces for Change (S4C), in partnership with the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) and the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), with support from the Ford Foundation.

Themed, “Remediation Before Divestment and Energy Transition: Amplifying the Bille Environmental Crisis,” the event is expected to bring together more than 150 stakeholders from the Niger Delta and beyond.

According to the statement signed by the Executive Director of Spaces for Change, Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri, participants will include government officials, regulators, representatives of host communities, civil society organisations, academics, industry operators and other private-sector stakeholders.

According to S4C, the dialogue comes at a time when Nigeria’s extractive industry is undergoing significant structural changes, particularly with the accelerated divestment of onshore assets by International Oil Companies (IOCs) and the country’s growing focus on energy transition.

The organisation, however, said the transition must take into account the environmental liabilities associated with decades of extractive activities in host communities.

Bille Kingdom in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State, which hosts major asset blocks including Oil Mining Leases (OML) 18 and 24, is at the centre of the 2026 dialogue.

S4C said reports from affected communities and preliminary field observations had indicated persistent environmental challenges, including reported gas leaks affecting waterways, creeks, residential areas and agricultural livelihoods.

The organisation stressed that while technical assessments were still ongoing, residents of Bille were awaiting the outcome of verified scientific investigations and immediate relief measures, particularly access to clean water.

It called for comprehensive technical source-tracing, stronger inter-agency collaboration and corporate accountability among the relevant operating entities.

S4C further argued that as International Oil Companies transfer onshore assets to domestic operators and Nigeria pursues its energy-transition agenda, historical environmental liabilities and remediation obligations must not be transferred to host communities.

According to the organisation, responsible decommissioning, environmental remediation and effective inter-agency coordination should therefore precede asset transfers and energy-transition plans.

The National Extractives Dialogue, now in its fifth edition, has served as a platform for discussions on extractive governance, environmental accountability and the rights of host communities in Nigeria and the wider West African region.

S4C said previous editions had contributed to community-led initiatives, regulatory reforms, greater visibility for marginalised voices and wider public discussions on accountability in the extractive sector.

The 2026 edition is expected to adopt a grassroots community-conference approach, providing residents of Bille and neighbouring riverine communities an opportunity to engage directly with regulators, industry operators, security agencies and civil society organisations.

The dialogue is also expected to focus on practical strategies for addressing environmental liabilities and strengthening transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s extractive industry.