An environmental justice advocacy group working in Nigeria’s oil-producing communities, the MIIDEEKOR Environmental Development Initiative (MEDI) has called on the incoming leadership of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) to urgently overhaul Nigeria’s oil sector divestment policies, warning that current practices are deepening environmental injustice in oil-producing communities.

In a statement issued on Thursday and signed by team lead Comrade Celestine AkpoBari, MEDI welcomed the recent leadership changes at the two regulatory agencies, describing them as an opportunity to restore transparency, accountability and public trust in the governance of Nigeria’s petroleum industry.

The organisation commended President Bola Tinubu for accepting the resignations of Engr. Farouk Ahmed, former Chief Executive of NMDPRA, and Engr. Gbenga Komolafe, former Commission Chief Executive of NUPRC, as well as for nominating Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan and Engr. Saidu Aliyu Mohammed as their respective successors, subject to Senate confirmation.

According to MEDI, the transition in leadership comes at a critical moment when Nigeria’s oil sector is grappling with allegations of regulatory failures, weak oversight and policies that undermine national interest and environmental protection.

The group also praised industrialist Aliko Dangote for what it described as his courageous exposure of alleged corruption and regulatory capture within petroleum regulatory agencies. 

MEDI said Dangote’s public allegations of sabotage, conflicting interests and preferential treatment for imported substandard petroleum products brought renewed attention to systemic challenges that weaken local refining and threaten Nigeria’s economic sovereignty.

MEDI expressed particular concern over divestment policies that have enabled international oil companies to exit onshore and shallow-water assets without adequate remediation of legacy pollution.

The organisation said host communities in the Niger Delta have been left with polluted land and waterways, damaged livelihoods and worsening health conditions as a result of poorly regulated divestment processes.

It said, “As an organization dedicated to protecting the environment and livelihoods of Niger Delta communities devastated by decades of oil pollution, MEDI calls on the incoming chief executives to immediately review and reverse all divestment policies and orders implemented under the previous leadership. 

“These policies have facilitated the exit of international oil companies from onshore assets without adequate remediation of legacy pollution, leaving host communities burdened with contaminated lands, waterways, and health crises. Robust enforcement of environmental safeguards must be prioritized to ensure that divestments do not perpetuate injustice or evade accountability.”

It stressed that divestment must not serve as an escape route for oil companies to evade environmental responsibility, calling on the new leadership of NMDPRA and NUPRC to strengthen enforcement of clean-up obligations, environmental safeguards and community protections.

MEDI further urged civil society organisations, business leaders and public officials to remain vigilant and speak out against corruption in the oil and gas sector, noting that silence enables practices that harm both the environment and the nation’s future.

The organisation reaffirmed its commitment to advocating transparent, environmentally responsible petroleum governance that prioritises sustainable development and the well-being of Nigerians, particularly communities in the oil-producing Niger Delta.