United Nations Radio

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is continuing its comprehensive environmental assessment of the causes and impacts of oil spills in the dangerous Niger Delta of Nigeria.

burning oil spill in Niger Delta

That is what Mike Cowing of UNEP, who is based in the region, told journalists in Geneva on Tuesday where he gave a briefing on the assessment of oil spills in the Ogoniland part of the Niger Delta.

He says in 2007 the Nigerian authorities specifically asked UNEP to undertake the study in the troubled region because they "saw that addressing the environmental problem related to oil spills and the impact on public health would have a peace dividend."

Mike Cowing points out that UNEP, which has a team of over 100 people, started its work in October last year examining the environment to see the impact of several hundreds of oil spills in Ogoniland.

"We are taking soil, sediment, water, plant tissue and animal tissue samples for laboratory analysis so that we can determine comprehensively for the first time what is the true impact of the oil spills on the health of the people and the environment of the Niger Delta."

Mike Cowing says UNEP expects to complete this assessment by December this year, including recommendations on how Ogoniland and the Niger Delta can be cleaned up.

He notes that the oil spills in the Niger Delta have probably been continuing for nine years, but have not received the kind of attention like that received by the spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Gerry Adams, United Nations
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