SEO Riders:
– Conservation NGO calls for reintroduction of lost species in oil-rich zones
– Restoration efforts aim to heal ecosystems near Nigeria’s first oilfield
– Reviving biodiversity as part of environmental justice and rehabilitation
A leading environmental NGO has championed the reintroduction of locally extinct species into ecosystems surrounding Nigeria’s first oilfield, located in Oloibiri, Bayelsa State—an area long impacted by decades of extraction, spills, and environmental degradation. The call comes as part of broader efforts to rehabilitate wildlife habitats and restore ecological balance in these historically compromised zones. According to the Environment Aware and Restoration Network (EARN), the region has suffered more than 7,000 oil spill occurrences since the first discovery in 1956, causing severe loss of biodiversity, disruption of agriculture and fisheries, and threats to public health and access to safe drinking water.
Several decades ago, Oloibiri and its immediate surroundings were home to thriving forest and savannah fauna—much of which vanished following unregulated oil operations. The NGO stresses that reintroducing indigenous species, especially those lost to oil exploration, must become an integral part of restoration frameworks, aligned with existing clean-up efforts like the Ogoniland Clean-Up Programme.
