The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, on Tuesday came under scrutiny at the National Assembly as Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan pressed the Federal Government to clarify its response to decades of oil pollution threatening Nigeria’s marine environment and blue-economy ambitions.
The exchange occurred during a joint budget defence session of the Senate Committee on Marine Transport and relevant House of Representatives committees, where lawmakers interrogated the ministry’s preparedness to balance economic exploitation of marine resources with environmental sustainability.
Raising the issue, Akpoti-Uduaghan drew attention to the long history of oil spills in the Niger Delta and questioned the effectiveness of government policies aimed at remediation and environmental protection.
She said, “My question is going to be directed to the blue economy. Since 1958, Nigeria has suffered over 7,000 oil spills. One would have thought that, with the number of policies implemented, this would have become a thing of the past.
“The Niger Delta region has been severely impacted, and although some cleanup measures have been undertaken, our farmers and fishermen have borne the greatest burden.”
The lawmaker further queried the extent of engagement between the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy and international oil companies, particularly multinational operators, in ensuring that cleanup obligations were met in affected coastal communities.
“My question to you, Honourable Minister, is this: how have you, in your capacity as Minister of the Blue Economy, engaged the various IOCs, especially Shell, to ensure that oil-spill cleanup activities in the region are actually carried out?” she asked.
Emphasising the link between environmental integrity and economic sustainability, Akpoti-Uduaghan warned that unchecked pollution posed a direct threat to the success of Nigeria’s marine-based development agenda.
“The success of a thriving green-economy initiative is intricately linked to the condition of our waters, waste systems and oceans. I therefore need to know how your ministry is engaging the IOCs on the cleanup of oil-polluted areas,” she added.
In his response, Oyetola clarified that responsibility for oil-spill remediation rests primarily with the Federal Ministry of Environment, while acknowledging the need for inter-ministerial collaboration.
“With regard to oil spillage, it is essentially an environmental matter and falls under the purview of the Ministry of Environment. However, it is not out of place for us to synergise with the Ministry of Environment,” the minister said.
His remarks underscored overlapping mandates within Nigeria’s environmental governance structure, where marine protection, pollution control and coastal resource management are shared across multiple ministries and regulatory agencies.
The Niger Delta, long affected by oil exploration and environmental degradation, remains central to the debate, with unresolved pollution continuing to pose challenges to livelihoods and ecosystem health.
Tuesday’s hearing formed part of the National Assembly’s ongoing review of budgetary proposals for ministries and agencies in the marine transport sector ahead of the 2026 fiscal year.
