Spaces for Change (S4C) has welcomed the Nigerian Senate’s passage of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (Establishment) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2026, describing it as an important step towards strengthening environmental accountability and protecting communities affected by oil pollution.
“We urge that the Bill be transmitted to the President for assent without unnecessary delay.
“The Bill seeks to strengthen the legal framework governing oil spill violations by introducing criminal liability and stiffer financial penalties for environmental offences, while enhancing the enforcement capacity of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA).
” Its passage recognises a longstanding concern: penalties that fail to deter violations weaken environmental protection, undermine public confidence and leave affected communities bearing the brunt of pollution.
“For decades, oil-producing communities, particularly across the Niger Delta, have experienced the destruction of farmlands, contamination of water sources, damage to aquatic ecosystems and the loss of fishing and farming livelihoods.
“These harms demand more than expressions of concern. They require a credible regulatory system capable of establishing the facts, identifying responsible parties, compelling compliance and ensuring that environmental obligations are fulfilled,” Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri, S4C Executive Director said in a statement emailed to PerSecondNews on Thursday.
While welcoming the Senate’s action, S4C emphasized that the effectiveness of the proposed law will depend not only on the severity of sanctions but also on NOSDRA’s practical ability to investigate incidents independently and enforce its findings.
At the 5th National Extractive Dialogue (NED 2026), convened by S4C in partnership with the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) and NOSDRA in Port Harcourt on 29–30 September 2026, participants examined the persistent gaps in environmental accountability, including the challenges confronting regulators when investigating pollution incidents and addressing outstanding liabilities in the petroleum sector.
Ibezim-Ohaeri stated: “A major concern is the extent to which NOSDRA may have to rely on oil and gas operators for logistical support, facilities or other resources when conducting investigations.
“Where a regulator depends on a company whose operations or assets are under scrutiny, questions can arise about independence, credibility and public confidence in the investigation Such arrangements may also constrain the regulator’s ability to secure evidence, undertake timely sampling and verification, and pursue enforcement where the findings warrant action.”
S4C, therefore, called on the Federal Government and the National Assembly to ensure that the amendment is accompanied by sustained investment in NOSDRA’s operational capacity.
“This should include dedicated and predictable funding for field investigations, access to independent laboratories, properly maintained monitoring and sampling equipment, trained technical personnel, reliable transport and logistics, and transparent protocols for evidence collection, analysis and reporting.
“Environmental protection cannot depend on the goodwill of polluters, and regulatory investigations must not be compromised by dependence on the companies being investigated.”
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