Output 1: Improved the ability of NOSDRA and local communities to monitor environmental pollution

In 2017, SDN submitted crucial recommendations for the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill to the Senate Committee on Environment and the House of Representatives. In 2018, we engaged in high-level advocacy for the NOSDRA Amendment Bill and contributed to legislative reform in 2020 by mobilizing civil society and communities for public hearings at the National Assembly. We also provided technical support to harmonize key provisions in the Petroleum Industry Bill and the NOSDRA Amendment Bill, establishing a robust regulatory framework. Additionally, in 2020, we continued building EMAGs’ capacity, training members in environmental monitoring, remediation, risk management, and reporting. 

• The project supported initial work to develop new oil spill and gas flare tracking tools for the Nigerian regulatory agency, NOSDRA.  The first version of a community oil spill reporting app developed and tested (2019).
• 25 EMAG members that constitute the fiver established EMAG groups across the three states (Rivers=2; Bayelsa=2; and Delta=1) were trained on several environmental knowledge areas such as – the use of the project developed environmental oil spill and gas flare tracker, process
• 400 Bodo community youths were also trained and presented with the International Maritime Organization Level 1 certificate in remediation techniques as part of the BMI process with the sole aim of increasing community participation in environmental monitoring.

Output 2: Enable action by civil society and the public on oil industry reform by increasing access to information on environmental and pollution issues 

SDN mobilized 20+ civil society organizations and communities in Rivers, Bayelsa, and Delta States for #CleanTheDelta campaign, urging Niger Delta cleanup and oil industry reform. In July 2020, SDN launched the first Environmental Performance Index (EPI), quantitatively assessing oil companies’ environmental impact in the region.

• the project produced 10 research and publications (1 Nosdra brief, 1 PIGB brief, position paper on Nosdra amendments, 5 technical presentations by external speakers organized, 1 brief on the PHICD Bill, 1 brief on the PIG Bill) on issues related to the environmental impact of the oil industry.
• conducted and published a research titled “2018 Environmental Performance Index

Output 3: Support the facilitation of the Bodo Mediation Initiative to ensure cooperation between SPDC and Bodo community, and that SPDC completes clean-up of oil spill pollution in Bodo

SDN served as the Secretariat of the Bodo Mediation Initiative (BMI) for the Bodo community’s cleanup by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC). The clean-up exercise involved deep flushing of contaminants and the use of remediation agents to remove contaminants from the soil. At least one thousand six hundred community members were engaged in the second phase of the clean-up exercise. A survey conducted in December 2020 revealed high awareness and support for the cleanup.

• SDN as the BMI secretariat, facilitated the engagement that initiated BODO community buy-in and participation in the sensitization campaigns. The sensitization campaigns which reached above 60,000 people in the 36 Bodo communities through town crying and one-to-one engagements with leadership structures was led by the Bodo Contact Committee made up of 12 (Male=8, Female=4) Bodo indigenes.
• 60% (3 out of 5) of court cases on the disputes between Bodo community members, SPDCs and other stakeholders are resolved and withdrew

Output 4: Increase the capacity of local communities and civil society to identify, document, and act on their development needs, including by supporting access to and investigation of information on government plans and action 

SDN trained 34 members of six Community Monitoring Advocacy Groups (CMAGs) in Rivers and Bayelsa. They produced and updated 13 community development charters known as Village Books for local development concerns and used them during engagements with duty bearers. SDN provided citizens’ guides and a CMAG guide to support their advocacy efforts. In 2020, in partnership with  Paradigm Leadership Support Initiative (PLSI and) BudgIT, SDN published a discussion paper on the transparency of payments from extractive companies to host communities, focusing on the  Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) as a case study.

• 34 CMAG members (male=20; female=14) of the three Rivers communities (Nonwa=12, Kpite=12, Ogu=10), and 34 CMAG members of three Bayelsa communities (Imiringi, Gbarain and Biseni) were provided with leadership and advocacy training to build their capacity in advocacy and dialogue as a means of improving infrastructural development and livelihoods. This training equipped CMAGs/community members with the skills to engage duty bearers, to advocate for their needs based on their Village books.

Output 5: An increased commitment of government and its development institutions to take action on community development needs

The CMAGs secured thirty-one actions and six commitments in thirty-two engagements with duty bearers in Rivers and Bayelsa States from 2017-2020. The duty bearers included local government chairpersons; ward councilors; the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC); state ministries of health and education; health management boards and; State Universal Education Boards

Output 6: Identification of Institutional and policy gaps that promote electoral corruption in Nigeria and in collaboration with INEC and the National Assembly review drawbacks that hinder citizens’ participation in the electoral process

Building Transparent Polls, and Reducing 2019 Elections Risks in Nigeria. In preparation for the 2019 elections, SDN reviewed the provisions of the 2010 Electoral Act (as amended), INEC guidelines, and elections observation reports to identify potential risks areas for electoral violence, fraud and corruption, as well as the bureaucratic and administrative bottlenecks that prevent INEC from organising fair and credible polls. On the basis of this, we published Building Transparent Polls, which informed engagements with INEC and other agencies working on the elections in the run-up to the 2019 polls. 

In 2019, five radio programmes were broadcast on Wazobia FM PH, before the elections in March to raise awareness on electoral and governance processes. Topics discussed included under age voting; mandate protection; voter registration processes and the importance of citizen participation in the elections, especially women.

Surprising elements

In 2017, the Petroleum Industry Governance and NOSDRA Amendment Bills, which were passed by the outgone Nigerian National (eight) Assembly, reflected some inputs from SDN, such as increased funding for NOSDRA and to make NOSDRA the sole regulator for environmental protection in the oil industry. However, the President refused assent to these bills.