by George Ozalla
PANDEF has welcomed President Bola Tinubu’s ongoing reforms in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector and urged the Federal Government to deepen the changes with broader Niger Delta inclusion and urgent environmental action. At a news briefing in Abuja on Friday, the Pan‑Niger Delta Forum described recent leadership changes in key petroleum regulatory agencies as steps that could strengthen governance, restore investor confidence and reposition the sector for sustainable growth and competitiveness. PANDEF singled out the Senate’s confirmation of Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission and Mr Saidu Mohammed as Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, saying the appointments reflected a commitment to competence‑based leadership and offered fresh momentum for reform. The forum said the reforms, if comprehensive and sustained, would help the oil and gas industry meet Nigeria’s economic needs and enhance its role in the global energy market. While applauding the reforms, PANDEF renewed its call for greater representation of Niger Delta professionals in top management positions across the petroleum industry, particularly within the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and its subsidiaries, arguing that the Niger Delta hosts a high concentration of seasoned oil and gas experts and deserves equitable access to decision‑making roles. The group also urged the government to expand environmental remediation beyond the ongoing Ogoni clean‑up to other oil‑producing communities and to support the establishment of modular refineries in the Niger Delta as a way of increasing host community participation, creating jobs and reducing dependence on long‑haul fuel transport. PANDEF reaffirmed its readiness to work with federal and state authorities to ensure a peaceful environment that enables the industry to thrive and benefit all Nigerians.
Ambassador Godknows Boladei Igali is the National Chairman of the Pan‑Niger Delta Forum, the apex socio‑political body representing the interests of the Niger Delta region. Igali has served Nigeria in a distinguished career spanning diplomacy, public administration and governance. A career diplomat, he joined the Nigerian Foreign Service in 1982 and held several key international postings, including serving as Nigerian Consul‑General to Cameroon, and as Ambassador to the Scandinavian countries of Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway. In domestic service, he was Secretary to the Bayelsa State Government and Honorary Adviser and Peace Envoy to the President on Niger Delta Affairs during heightened militancy, helping lay the groundwork for the Niger Delta Amnesty programme. He was appointed Federal Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Water Resources in 2010 and was redeployed to the Ministry of Power in 2013 where he played a major role in the sector’s privatisation and other reforms. Igali has also chaired significant boards and panels in the education and public administration sectors and is an accomplished author and scholar with works on state formation, governance and development. The Pan‑Niger Delta Forum was established to advocate for equitable development, environmental justice and meaningful inclusion of Niger Delta communities in the nation’s oil and gas sector and broader economic governance.
