Nigerian, Ugandan journalists share experiences on impact of oil industry on environment

Nigerian and Ugandan journalists on Saturday concluded a knowledge and experience exchange programme on the environmental impact of oil extraction facilitated by Africa Institute for Energy Governance (AFIEGO).

The virtual interaction had reporters from both countries compare notes 9n reporting the impacts of oil exploration and exploitation.

AFIEGO is a public policy research and advocacy organisation that works with various stakeholders to promote human rights, environmental conservation and climate action amidst oil and gas activities in Uganda and the African Great Lakes region.

Speaking at the opening session of the event, Diana Nabiruma, Senior Communications Officer at AFIEGO said the aim is to strengthen journalists to report on the human rights and environmental risks of oil exploitation in Uganda, in the midst of corporate capture.

She noted that it was both imperative and essential for journalists from Nigeria to share their knowledge and experiences since the country has been ahead in oil and gas production. 

“We believe that you, journalists from Nigeria, can offer insights on the environmental, social and health impacts of oil activities in the Niger Delta,”  Nabiruma said.

According to Nabiruma, Uganda like Nigeria has had its fair share of impacts from oil exploration activities.

She observed that recently, TotalEnergies embarked on an oil pipeline laying project in the East African state, a project said to have devastated thousands of people’s livelihoods.

She quoted a report by Human Rights Watch which said that if completed, the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) project will ultimately displace over 100,000 people.

Nabiruma said that it was regrettablethat more than a dozen Ugandan journalists have been assaulted and had their equipment destroyed in trying to cover oil and gas exploratory issues in the country.

During the session, participants shared their experiences and tips on handling obstacles and safety risks associated with reporting oil pollution and antics of oil firms. 

They also spoke on the impacts of oil companies activities in the Niger Delta region and in Uganda.

In his presentation, Mr. Nathan Nwakanma, a journalist with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), traced the historical journey of Nigerian oil Industry from the 1950s till date.

He noted that host communities of the Niger Delta out of their hospitality embraced the coming of expatriates for oil exploration without formalised legal procedures.

He said, several decades after the first oil well in Otuabagi community, at Oloibiri District, where oil was first struck in commercial quantities dried up, the impacts on the environment were still being visible and felt by the people.

Nwakamma regretted that the oil fields are grossly underreported as most media houses lack the resources to train and deploy reporters near the oil fields for effective coverage.

Nwakamma also observed that oil companies employ ‘divide and rule’ tactics, which lead to inter/intra communal crisis as the communities struggle for marginal handouts from oil firms and lose sight of their environment.

Mrs Obiabin Also speaking, Onukwugha, a journalist with NatureNews Africa, pointed out the devastating effects of gas flaring on communities.

She said, communities of the Niger Delta, especially women and children have suffered devastating effects ranging from eye defects, respiratory ailments, skin diseases, excess heat waves, low crop yield, biodiversity loss, loss of adequate sleep, amongst others.

She regretted that more than ten years after the creation of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) under the Federal Ministry of Environment to clean up and restore the environment in Ogoni as a pilot for the remediation of the entire Niger Delta region, the agency is yet to achieve desired result.

Speaking on the “Tips for Navigation Media Capture when reporting on Extractives”, Rachel Mugarura-Mutana of the African Centre for Media Excellence (ACME), noted the need for journalists to recognise players, contractual restrictions, opaque deals and financial influences of the state and the oil companies.

She explained that corporate capture involves a situation where government entities and large corporations exert undue influence or control over media outlets thereby shaping the narratives, priorities and coverage of news and information.

Mugarura-Mutana stated: “The movement of personnel between government regulatory bodies and the oil and gas industry can create a culture of cosiness. 

“This weakens oversight and allows industry talking points to dominate media coverage.” she said.

She explained that the media can continue in the campaign through educating the public about media capture, developing a support system, fact-checking and protecting their sources.