NIGER DELTA YOUTHS CALL FOR THE ABROGATION OF 30% NNPCL PROFIT ALLOCATION TO FRONTIER STATES

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AN OPEN LETTER TO THE NIGERIAN SENATE

To: THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, DISTINGUISHED SENATORS OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA

Cc: The Presidency, House of Representatives, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, and the Nigerian Public

We, the concerned youth and stakeholders of the Niger Delta region, write to express our deep concern and dissatisfaction with certain provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), particularly the section that allocates 30% of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL)'s profits to oil exploration in so-called frontier basins.

These basins, located in non-producing states such as Borno, Yobe, Sokoto, Jigawa, Katsina, and others, are being prioritized over the host communities whose lands and waters have been exploited for decades—communities that continue to suffer the dire consequences of oil exploration, including environmental degradation, pollution, loss of livelihoods, and public health crises.

It is a gross injustice that host communities are allocated a mere 3% of settlor budgets, while 30% of NNPCL profits—largely derived from the Niger Delta—are funneled into speculative exploration in areas with no history of commercial oil production. This provision is not only economically irrational, but also morally indefensible.

The Niger Delta has carried the economic burden of the nation for over half a century. Rather than being acknowledged and rewarded with developmental equity, we are once again witnessing a deliberate sidelining of our region in favor of political expediency.

We, therefore, demand the following immediate actions in the interest of fairness, national unity, and constitutional justice:

1. AMEND OR REMOVE THE 30% FRONTIER BASIN ALLOCATION

The provision allocating 30% of NNPCL profits to frontier exploration must be repealed or drastically reduced. Such resources should instead be invested in stabilizing and rehabilitating oil-producing communities.

2. INCREASE HOST COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FUND

The current 3% is an insult to the decades of sacrifice and devastation endured by host communities. We call for a substantial upward review that reflects our direct contribution to the national economy.

3. IMPLEMENT EQUITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

All oil and gas-related legislation must be realigned with the principles of fairness, sustainability, and the protection of host community rights. The lives, land, and futures of our people are not expendable.

This is not merely a policy issue—it is a moral and constitutional imperative. Continued neglect of the Niger Delta undermines national cohesion and fuels a dangerous sense of exclusion. True federalism demands that the people and regions who generate national wealth must also share equitably in its benefits.

We call on all patriotic Nigerians, civil society groups, and elected representatives from the Niger Delta to rise in solidarity and demand an immediate review of this unjust arrangement.

History will remember those who stood for justice.

Signed:

Hon. Gbejimor Henry

National President, Patriotic Youth Enlightenment