Explosions at oil collection stations in Nigeria highlight the ongoing danger of fossil fuels to frontline communities
Oil Change International is deeply concerned by reports of explosions at two oil collection stations in Rivers State, Nigeria. We stand in solidarity with the affected local communities.
The full extent of the damage and potential casualties remain unknown. This incident is yet another tragic consequence of reckless fossil fuel extraction in the region. It is a deadly reminder of the daily risks frontline communities face from ageing infrastructure which was often built to double standards compared to the Global North.
These flow stations, currently owned by the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPC) and Eroton Exploration & Production Company, previously owned by Shell, were sold off as what seems to be a broader strategy by international oil companies to avoid liability for aging infrastructure. These companies wash their hands off responsibility while leaving local communities to deal with the ongoing risks. While Shell may have exited, the danger remains. This disaster comes as the government of Nigeria announced plans to resume oil production in Ogoni land, despite decades of resistance from local communities that have borne the brunt of environmental destruction and human rights abuses.
Despite repeated warnings from environmental justice groups and local communities, fossil fuel companies in Nigeria continue to prioritize profit over safety, sustainability, and human lives. The explosions highlight yet again how fossil fuel projects endanger lives in the short term through industrial accidents, and in the long term through toxic pollution, displacement, and worsening climate impacts. This explosion is a grim reminder that fossil fuel extraction is not development—it is a threat to people, livelihoods, and the environment.
For 60 years, oil companies have devastated the Niger Delta while taking home most of the profits – 66% of oil and gas production in Africa is owned by multinational corporations. In Nigeria and across the continent, communities near extraction sites face displacement, health problems, and environmental damage while companies like Total, Eni, and ExxonMobil continue to profit. We stand in solidarity with communities affected by these latest explosions and demand: a full investigation, accountability for those responsible, an end to fossil fuel expansion in Nigeria and across Africa, and a just transition to clean, community-centered renewable energy that creates more jobs than fossil fuels.
Statements:
Kentebe Ebiaridor – Programme Manager, Environmental Rights Action, Nigeria
“This is yet another blowout in the Niger Delta—one of far too many. Community monitors observed a blowout at one of the numerous oil fields near the Cawthorne Channel in Rivers State, not far from Bonny Island. These disasters are becoming a worrisome norm, and it is high time for the government and international oil companies to take our environment seriously. Our fisheries are in jeopardy, and our fisherfolk are suffering devastating losses. We stand in solidarity and demand an end to oil exploration in Nigeria. Clean up this mess now!”
Thuli Makama, Africa Program Director, Oil Change International
“This tragedy shows the deadly cost of fossil fuel extraction in Africa. For decades, oil companies have treated the Niger Delta as a sacrifice zone – taking profits while leaving pollution, destruction, and dangerous infrastructure behind. We need an immediate investigation and a rapid, just transition to renewable energy that serves communities, not corporations.”