Ogoni Environment Watch, OEW, a community-based environmental advocacy group, has declared a loss of confidence in the Ogoni Dialogue Committee, ODC, and thrown its weight behind the position of the apex socio-cultural organization of Ogoniland, KAGOTE, on the proposed resumption of oil production in Ogoniland.
The group said the current composition and process of the ODC do not adequately represent the collective interests and aspirations of the Ogoni people.
In a statement issued on Monday, August 18, 2026, and signed by its Convener, Dae Steven Deegbara, OEW said it had carefully considered the recent public statement by the President of KAGOTE, Chief Lesi Maol, and aligned itself with the call for transparency, accountability, inclusiveness, and proper consultation in matters concerning the future of Ogoniland.
“We make it clear that Ogoni cannot afford another process conducted behind closed doors, where decisions affecting our land, people and resources are made without adequate disclosure or meaningful participation by the people,” the statement said.
The group listed four immediate demands to restore public confidence in the dialogue process:
OEW demanded that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, immediately publish the names, communities, qualifications, and selection criteria of 40 Ogoni persons reportedly employed as part of the current process.
“The people of Ogoni have a legitimate right to know who benefited from employment opportunities purportedly allocated to Ogoni,” the group stated.
The organization called for the meaningful inclusion of qualified Ogoni youths in the ongoing dialogue.
“Ogoni youths are not merely spectators to the future of their homeland. They are stakeholders and must have a seat at the table where decisions concerning the environment, oil production, employment, and development are being discussed,” OEW said.
OEW demanded a comprehensive, publicly available list of all projects approved for Ogoniland, including project descriptions, locations, contract sums, contractors, dates of approval and commencement, status, timelines, and sources of funding.
“Ogoni has suffered decades of environmental degradation and underdevelopment. The people must no longer be expected to accept vague assurances in place of verifiable information,” it added.
The group urged the ODC to open its processes to public scrutiny and disclose its mandate, membership, decisions, and recommendations. It also called on the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and NNPCL to ensure that every process connected to the proposed resumption of oil production is transparent and subject to meaningful Ogoni participation.
OEW cautioned that there can be no sustainable return to oil production in Ogoniland without justice, environmental restoration, transparency, and the informed consent of the people.
“The lessons of the past must not be forgotten,” Deegbara said. “This is not a demand for confrontation. It is a demand for accountability.”
The group gave the Federal Government, NNPCL, and the ODC a reasonable and publicly acknowledged period to respond and take concrete action.
It warned that failure to do so would compel OEW to pursue all lawful avenues available to it, including legal action and lawful mass mobilisation, to compel transparency and protect the legitimate interests of the Ogoni people.
OEW urged Ogoni traditional institutions, civil society organisations, youth groups, women organisations, and citizens to remain vigilant and united, stressing that the issue transcends personalities.
“The issue before us is about Ogoni. It is about the future of our land, the dignity of our people, the restoration of our environment, and the right of Ogonis to participate meaningfully in decisions concerning their homeland,” the statement concluded.