In promoting the effort of human and environmental rights defense in the Niger Delta oil and gas producing communities, Community Development Advocacy Foundation (CODAF) in collaboration with CHRD and ERA/FoEN organized a webinar on May 23, 2023 on zoom.

The webinar which was organized to examine the human rights abuses caused by oil exploration activities in the Niger Delta, had 30 participants in attendance, including community representatives, media representatives, Civil Society Organizations and Legal practitioners in attendance.

Speaking at the meeting, the Executive Director of Environmental Rights Action, Barr. Chima Williams spoke on " Trials of Human and Ecological Rights abuses in the Niger Delta" and steps to be taken to achieve successful legal actions against oil multinationals who have defaulted on the required standards of operation.

 According to him, the human ecological rights abuses against oil producing communities is an infringement of the laid down standards of operation agreed upon by the oil companies before the commencement of their operations.

He lamented that the pollution of these host communities have deprived them of their sources of livelihood, which is dependent on their fishing and farming activities.  

Barr. Williams further stressed that with evidence from the affected communities, legal actions can be taken to stop oil exploration activities if the oil companies cannot meet up to it's obligations owed to host communities.

Also speaking, Tonbra Kasikoro Kilopirete, Executive Director, Women Initiative for Values Empowerment and Sustainability International  (WIVES) said the people of the riverine needs enlightenment as many of them do not know their rights, thereby accepting human rights abuses as a normal thing. 

On her part, the Program Officer of CODAF, Elvira Jordan stated that Odimodi and other oil host communities have been put through untold hardship as their rights to a safe and healthy environment have been infringed upon, due to oil spills and chemical waste damages that have affected the lands and waters in these areas. 

She further stated that these host communities are at the risk of extinction if their environment is not restored. 

 Highlighting the interventions of CODAF in Odimodi and other oil producing communities in the area, she also revealed that CODAF in collaboration with Environment Rights Action/ Friends Of The Earth Nigeria and the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) in Edo State are putting together legal actions against oil multinationals on the human rights abuses against Odimodi, Gele-gele, Forcados and other communities that have keyed into the initiative. 

She called on civil society organizations, media organizations and legal practitioners to key into the initiative and support the fight for the restoration of the rights of host communities in the Niger Delta.