A group of civil society organisations, youth groups and community advocates have accused oil companies and regulators of not using millions of dollars from gas flare penalties for environmental relief and development in Akwa Ibom State.
The group, known as the Akwa Ibom Extractive Justice Alliance, protested on Friday at the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) office in Eket, Akwa Ibom State. They want accountability for these penalties and immediate action to fix environmental damage in oil-producing areas.
The protesters handed over a petition to the NUPRC. They said communities that host oil and gas operations still face pollution, poverty and poor infrastructure, even though companies have paid large gas flare penalties.
The coalition claims that over $270 million in gas flare penalties is still owed to these communities from 2021 to 2025. They called for a public account of these penalties during that period.
Some of the signs carried by the protesters read: “We breathe the flare. Where is our money?”, “$270 million owed communities still waiting”, “Seplat: New operator, full responsibility”, “Eastern Obolo is not a sacrificed zone”, “Executive order 9 hurts host communities. Reverse it”.
Other messages included: “Oil wealth does not equal community poverty”, “8 villages, no light, OML 13 burns all nights”, “NUPRC enforce the PIA, protect the people”, “Stop gas flaring! Polluters out, communities first”.
The protesters said this demonstration is part of a global campaign against fossil fuel pollution. This campaign involves communities and advocacy groups across Africa and South America.
The Akwa Ibom Extractive Justice Alliance includes civil society organisations, youth groups, academics and community advocates. It was set up by the Clement Isong Foundation with help from ActionAid Nigeria.
The group stated that gas flare penalties over $10.4 million became due on Oil Mining Lease (OML) 13 from 2021 to 2023, but communities there still suffer from ongoing gas flaring.
They mentioned places like Iko Town, Elekpon, Akpabom and Atabrikang in Eastern Obolo Local Government Area, where gas flaring has continued since production began on OML 13 in May 2024.
The coalition pointed out that eight communities in Eastern Obolo still do not have electricity, even though the area has a lot of gas resources.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that people at an environmental justice meeting urged oil companies and regulators to turn flare gas into electricity for Akwa Ibom oil and gas host communities that have faced years of power cuts.
“OML 13 holds over five trillion cubic feet of gas. The energy being burned over these communities could instead be used to power them,” the coalition said.
They also claimed that gas flaring in Ibeno Local Government Area has harmed air, water and soil quality in parts of Ibeno, Eket, Esit Eket and Onna local government areas.
They added that residents can no longer trust rainwater for their daily use. They linked the decline in the environment to the loss of coastal areas due to erosion.
The protesters argued that the increase in penalty payments has not led to a decrease in gas flaring.
According to reports from the Nigeria Extractive Industries and Transparency Initiatives, oil companies paid $646 million in gas flare penalties in 2025, the highest amount in five years.
Despite this, they said Nigeria flared 301.3 million standard cubic feet of gas in 2024, compared to 278.3 million standard cubic feet in 2023. This means Nigeria is not on track to stop routine gas flaring by 2025.
“The data shows clearly that penalty payments are not translating into reduced flaring,” the group said.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that President Bola Tinubu, through Executive Order 9 on February 13, 2026, directed that gas flare penalties be sent straight to the Federation Account.
The coalition criticized this Executive Order 9. They said it stopped the payment of gas flare penalties into the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund (MDGIF) and redirected the money elsewhere.
The group argued that this decision undermined parts of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021 meant to help with environmental cleanup and relief projects in host communities.
They are calling for the reversal of this order and for the old system of managing gas flare penalty revenues to be restored.
In their petition, the coalition asked for the public release of all gas flare penalties assessed in Akwa Ibom since 2021. They also want to see flare-out plans from operating companies and updates on gas flare capture projects in the state.
The coalition demands full compliance with Host Community Development Trust rules under the Petroleum Industry Act. They also want the regulator to talk to the National Assembly about restoring gas flare penalty payments to the MDGIF.
They said copies of their petitions were also sent to the Akwa Ibom State Government, the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, relevant National Assembly committees and several oil and gas companies, including Nigerian Exploration and Production Limited, Network Exploration and Production Limited, and Seplat Energy.
The group insisted that communities in Eastern Obolo, Ibeno, Eket, Esit Eket and Onna have tried all usual ways to raise their concerns. They are determined to keep seeking accountability for the environmental and development problems linked to oil and gas production in the state.
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