19/05/2026
The Learning Exchange Visit organized by Amadiba Crisis Committee and We The People, with the participation of OLEGH Centre for Community Development and representatives of other impacted communities from the Niger Delta, was both emotional and enlightening.
For many of us from the Niger Delta, visiting the Mtentu environment in South Africa was a painful reminder of what we have lost to decades of oil exploration. The Mtentu ecosystem remains largely preserved, natural, and rich in biodiversity, with over 280 species of flora and fauna, some of which are already going extinct and can only be found within Mtentu and its surrounding environment. The area is not just environmentally sensitive; it is also a source of livelihood, cultural identity, and tourism for local communities.
We stand in strong solidarity with the people of the Amadiba community and the Amadiba Crisis Committee in their continued resistance against plans by Shell to commence oil and gas exploitation in such a treasured and ecologically important environment.
The people of the Niger Delta understand too well the consequences of extractive activities carried out without accountability, environmental justice, or respect for indigenous communities. For decades, oil exploitation in the Niger Delta has resulted in polluted rivers, destroyed farmlands, loss of biodiversity, contaminated air, displacement, sickness, poverty, and deep social crises. Communities that once thrived on fishing and farming are now struggling to survive.
We therefore urge the people of South Africa not to allow the mistakes made in the Niger Delta to be repeated in Mtentu. Once such ecosystems are destroyed, restoration becomes almost impossible. No economic promise can replace clean water, fertile land, healthy ecosystems, and the dignity of communities living in harmony with nature.
Protect Mtentu. Protect the future.
