By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

ABUJA — The Federal Government has been urged to involve the Niger Delta region and oil-producing communities in the business and ownership of oil and gas assets, including marginal oil fields.

Michael Akueche, founder of Mica Equity Allocation Limited, gave this advice at the just-concluded Nigerian Local Content Conference (NLCC) in Abuja.

Akueche noted that constant agitation in the Niger Delta stems from the exclusion of oil- and gas-producing communities from owning oil blocks.

He stated: “One major reason for unrest in the South-South/Niger Delta region and oil- and gas-producing states/communities is the sidelining of their people from the business and ownership of these assets.

“For example, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) advertised a licensing round for 50 oil blocks on December 1, 2025, and parties worldwide are scrambling for them. Yet no conscious effort has been made to organize the people of the South-South/Niger Delta and oil- and gas-producing states/communities to participate in the bidding—even though these blocks are located in their areas.

“How can you avoid stirring anger among people whose resources, worth billions of dollars, are being taken without their involvement in the process?

“This has been the biggest mistake of past governments, but we believe the current administration will correct it.”

Akueche explained that one goal of the conference was to raise awareness among locals about the need to bid for licences in the oil and gas sector.

“We therefore seek to organize the people of the South-South/Niger Delta region and oil- and gas-producing states/communities into a conglomerate with delegate representation. This would enable state-by-state consortia, along with the necessary frameworks, systems, and structures, to maximize the current NUPRC licensing round.”