The National Youth Council of Ogoni People (NYCOP) has warned the Federal Government that oil production in Ogoniland will not resume unless justice, equity, and full involvement of Ogoni youths and women are guaranteed.

The warning was contained in a communiqué issued at the National Congress of NYCOP, held on August 16, 2025, at the MOSOP Peace and Freedom Centre, Bori, to mark the 35th anniversary of the Ogoni Bill of Rights (OBR).

Signed by NYCOP President, Comrade Barinuazor Emmanuel, and Secretary General, Fred Mene Elijah, the communiqué lamented that 35 years after the launch of the OBR, Ogoni people still face environmental degradation and economic hardship despite their contributions to Nigeria’s oil wealth.

The youth leaders insisted that oil production in OML 11 must not resume without proper consultation with Ogoni communities and equity participation by Ogoni indigenes.

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They demanded the inclusion of youths and women in all negotiations on oil resumption and environmental justice, stressing that their exclusion would repeat past mistakes of marginalisation.

While acknowledging the establishment of the Federal University of Environment and Technology and the ongoing Ogoni cleanup exercise, NYCOP maintained that the Federal Government must revisit the Ogoni Bill of Rights to address issues of economic empowerment, environmental restoration, and political inclusion.

The group also appreciated President Bola Tinubu for the posthumous recognition of Ogoni heroes, but said the symbolic gestures must be backed by concrete structural change.

The congress ended with a renewed call for vigilance, solidarity, and unity among Ogoni youths, affirming that the Ogoni struggle will remain rooted in peace and justice. (The Guardian)