BMI TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP 1 MEETING ON BODO CLEAN-UP PROJECT

The Centre for Environment, Human Rights and Development (CEHRD) convened the Bodo Mediation Initiative (BMI) Technical Working Group 1 meeting (#TWG1). The meeting which held on 8 April, 2022 discussed the status of the Bodo Cleanup project, its challenges and prospect of sustainable cleanup process.

The #BMI is a multi-stakeholder platform involving Bodo community, SPDC, regulatory agencies, CSO and the BMI Directorate. The #BMI facilitated clean-up has progressed from the initial free-phase cleaning (2017-2018), to the current final phase of remediation and restoration.
The process began in 2008 and 2009 when the Bodo Creek was polluted by operational oil spills from Trans-Niger pipelines traversing the creek. The impacts of both #spills have been exacerbated by numerous spill incidents caused by oil theft and artisanal refining. Both operational spills were litigated in the UK Court in London which lasted four years (2011 – 2014).

The litigation initially stalemated clean-up of the heavily polluted creek. Mid way into the litigation (that is, 2013), the Embassy of the Netherlands in Nigeria with the support of a local CSO coalition, #NACGOND, initiated the Bodo Mediation Initiative (#BMI) to mediate between the parties (the Bodo community and SPDC) and facilitate the clean-up, remediation and restoration of the Bodo Creek.

The project is supported by the Embassy of the Netherlands in Nigeria