Nigeria: Investigation - Gas Flares, Poisoned Lives, Regulatory Failures in Nigeria's Oil Fields

What the report says

AllAfrica republished a Premium Times investigation on 30 July 2026 examining communities near oil and gas facilities in Nigeria’s Niger Delta, with a focus on Akata in Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State and Mkpanak near the Qua Iboe Terminal. The report links residents’ accounts of declining fish catches, coastal erosion, health complaints and polluted rainwater to the wider impacts of oil operations, gas flaring and methane emissions.

In Akata, fishers told Premium Times that species once common in nearby waters, including octopus and larger fish, have become harder to find since around 2012, forcing some people to travel farther offshore at higher cost and risk. The report recounts the case of Udeme, a fisherman who began going into deeper Atlantic waters in late 2024 and died while fishing in March 2025. Residents also described the sea taking over parts of the community, destroying homes, a health centre and a school, and splitting the settlement into Akata I and Akata II.

The investigation says flare stacks were visible around waters hosting oil assets including OMLs 67, 68, 70 and 104, recently acquired by Seplat Energy from Mobil Producing Nigeria. In Mkpanak, residents reported soot in rainwater, eye irritation, coughing, chest discomfort and breathing difficulties. A local health official said the primary health centre records several monthly complaints involving breathing difficulty and chest tightness, while noting that many residents do not seek formal care.

Premium Times also cited gas-flare tracker data from Nigeria’s National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency showing numerous flare points along Akwa Ibom’s coastline. More broadly, methane is a powerful greenhouse gas, and inefficient flaring, venting or leaks from oil and gas systems can worsen climate and local environmental pressures.