Article

Otuabagi Community (Oloibiri) : The Beginning of Nigeria’s Oil Curse



https://youtu.be/iXZYB_Ac0Zo


A Story of Betrayal and Environmental Injustice

We were about to leave when Mama, possibly in her 80s, grabbed my hand. She held something tightly in her wrinkled palm, a strange-looking object. At first, I thought it was juju. The minister in me immediately started pleading the blood of Jesus. But Mama kept beckoning, insisting we listen.

When we looked closer, we saw it—an old snail shell.

We had just spent about two hours with the women and elders of Otuabagi community, Bayelsa—the place where oil was first discovered in Nigeria, as far back as 1956. A community that should have been a symbol of wealth and prosperity. Instead, it’s a grim reminder of what happens when a nation allows itself to be exploited by foreign corporations, aided by its own leaders.

Mama wanted to speak. She wanted to tell her story.

Her voice was frail, but her words carried the weight of decades of pain: “Before, we dey see plenty big big snail, but now we no fit even see the small one, all of them don die finish because of oil pollution.”

She wasn’t just speaking about snails. She was talking about an ecosystem destroyed, a way of life erased, a people abandoned. And as she held up that cracked old shell, it was as if she was holding up the shattered remains of her community’s past.


Our visit to one of the Abandoned oil wells in Otuagbagi
Our visit to one of the Abandoned oil wells in Otuagbagi



Oloibiri: The Beginning of Nigeria’s Oil Curse

Oloibiri should have been a place of national pride. Oil was first discovered there in commercial quantity by Shell D’Arcy (now Shell Petroleum) in 1956. That discovery changed Nigeria’s destiny forever, making it one of the largest oil producers in the world. But while the country got rich, Oloibiri was left behind—forgotten.

The oil boom brought no development. No roads. No hospitals. No clean water. Instead, Oloibiri and surrounding communities, like Otuabagi, got pollution, poverty, and pipelines that never served them. Their lands, once fertile, are now wastelands. Their rivers, once filled with fish, now carry the stench of crude oil spills. Their youths, once full of dreams, now turn to crime or migration in search of a better life.

Meanwhile, foreign oil companies continue to make billions, leaving behind nothing but destruction.

Oil well at Otuabagi with destroyed farmland
Oil well at Otuabagi with destroyed farmland



A Tale of Two Oil Cities: Oloibiri vs. Dukhan

Let’s put this into perspective. Dukhan, Qatar, was the first community in that country where oil was discovered in the 1950s—around the same time as Oloibiri in Nigeria. Today, Dukhan is an ultra-modern city, with top-tier infrastructure, world-class healthcare, and a standard of living that most Africans can only dream of.

Oloibiri? No roads. No hospitals. No clean water.

Same product. Different treatment.


Image of post in post detailed view



The difference? Africa has always been subjected to injustice. The same international oil companies (IOCs) that cannot even spill a drop of oil in the West without facing massive lawsuits do whatever they want here, with zero consequences. Why? Because poverty has been weaponized. Our leaders are too busy filling their pockets to hold these corporations accountable. And when the people rise up, they are met with violence, repression, or silence.

The Never-Ending Story of Exploitation

And it’s not just oil. Every kind of resource extraction in Africa is greeted with human and environmental rights abuses. Look at what is happening in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where cobalt—essential for making your smartphone batteries—is mined under horrific conditions, with children forced to work in toxic environments. Look at Rwanda, where natural resources are fueling conflict, and yet, the world remains silent because their economies depend on what Africa provides.

These same multinationals that preach sustainability and corporate responsibility in the West don’t think twice about destroying lives in Africa. They spill oil, burn gas, pollute rivers, and displace entire communities—all with the full backing of corrupt local officials.

This Is More Than Climate Justice—It’s a Fight for Survival

The environmental impact is devastating, yes. But the socio-economic damage? Even worse. The destruction of these communities fuels violence, turns brothers against each other, empowers thuggery, and ensures that generations remain trapped in poverty. We saw it firsthand during our town hall engagement last week. People have lost everything. The land no longer feeds them, the water poisons them, and their leaders betray them.

But we will not be silent.

The Fight Begins Now


After sensitizing community leaders in Otuabagi on embracing renewable Energy
After sensitizing community leaders in Otuabagi on embracing renewable Energy



A massive media campaign is coming. The plight of the Niger Delta will no longer be hidden in the shadows. We will expose these injustices and demand justice—not just for the environment, but for the people whose lives have been stolen.

And to the so-called community leaders selling out for personal gain, thinking you can betray your own people for a few crumbs—your time is coming. You are selling out your home, and that is the height of foolishness.

We must end this cycle. We must fight for justice.

And we must bring light to the darkness, because as long as we keep exposing the truth, we stand a chance of breaking free from this system of exploitation.

Lincgreen team conducting interviews
Lincgreen team conducting interviews



Written by


@Diolu Tobechukwu Prosper




  • Patrick Kiash

    6 d

    Oloibiri should have been a symbol of prosperity, but instead, it’s a story of betrayal and environmental destruction. Decades after oil was discovered, the community is left with pollution and poverty while corporations profit. This injustice must end.

    • Esther Edubio

      1 w

      This article hits close to home for me. My mom is from Bayelsa state, and I had the chance to visit in 2015. It is heartbreaking to see that despite being the first community where oil was discovered, they have been left behind with little or no government intervention. This is a story that needs more attention. These communities deserve better. My question is “How do you think we can push for real change in these communities? #theenvironmentalqueen

      5
      • LINCGREEN Prospects

        1 w

        @esther_edubio the power play is very deep, we must fight through exposing this injustice, it is the first step. The mobilize community members to further demand their rights, like the Ogonis, though it wont be an easy fight, but it will be a start

        3

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