Environmental rights advocate, Dr Sheriff Mulade has said that Oil-rich communities in Delta State remain trapped in poverty and infrastructural decay despite generating much of the state and national wealth.
Dr. Mulade made this declaration at Ughelli, headquarters of Ughelli North Local Government Area on Saturday, October 31, during the launch of The Boom, Bane and Blood, a book written by Dr Richard Ayiwe. He said decades of oil and gas production have failed to deliver clean water, good roads and basic amenities to the people whose land produces the resources. “We Are the Engine”
Mulade rejected the common description of the Niger Delta as merely Nigeria’s “spine,” insisting that the region is the economic engine that keeps the country moving.
“We are not just the spine; we are the engine of the Nigerian nation. Without the Niger Delta, can Nigeria move forward?” he asked.
He argued that oil should have made host communities among the wealthiest in the country, but has instead become “a source of pain” for residents living amid deprivation.
The activist questioned the impact of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) and the 13 per cent derivation fund on host communities. DESOPADEC was established to manage 50 per cent of Delta’s 13 per cent oil derivation allocation for the development of oil-producing areas.
Mulade asked whether the intended 50 per cent allocation has produced visible development, saying many communities still lack potable water, social amenities and passable rural roads. He called for transparency and measurable results in the use of derivation and other oil-related funds.
He urged Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to make host-community development a central priority, particularly if his administration secures a second term. While acknowledging ongoing infrastructure projects, Mulade said the state’s prosperity should be judged not only by flyovers and bridges but by improvements in the daily lives of oil-producing communities. He also raised concerns over Delta State’s funding of federal road projects, asking whether expected federal reimbursements would ultimately benefit the communities that bear the environmental and social costs of oil production.
“When these reimbursements are eventually made, who will benefit from the money?” he asked.
Mulade however expressed disappointment that no government officials attended the book launch, saying authorities responsible for managing Niger Delta resources should engage directly with discussions on host-community welfare.
He urged community leaders and stakeholders to sustain demands for accountability, equitable revenue distribution and rural development, warning that Delta cannot celebrate wealth while the communities producing it remain impoverished.