A rupture in Nigeria’s Trans Niger Pipeline has led to a significant oil spill in B-Dere, a community located in the environmentally sensitive region of Ogoniland, according to an environmental advocacy group on Thursday. The leak, reported on May 6, has yet to be contained, raising renewed concerns over environmental safety and corporate accountability in the region.
The TNP—one of Nigeria’s critical oil arteries with a capacity of around 450,000 barrels per day—serves as a key export route for Bonny Light crude. This incident marks the second disruption in two months, following a March explosion that forced a temporary shutdown of the pipeline.
Environmental watchdog Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) has condemned what it calls a sluggish response to the latest spill. “This community has been turned into a disaster zone,” said HOMEF’s Executive Director Nnimmo Bassey. “A week has passed and crude oil is still leaking. This is an unacceptable failure to protect lives and the environment.”
Bassey further urged authorities to focus on closing and decommissioning aging oil infrastructure instead of opening new wells. “What Ogoniland needs is restoration, not expansion,” he added.
Uncertainty Over Pipeline Status
While the scale of the leak is still being assessed, it remains unclear whether the pipeline has been shut down. The operator, Renaissance Group, has confirmed the spill and deployed a technical team to investigate the cause. However, no official statement has been made regarding the status of the pipeline.
If the TNP is offline for an extended period, it could force a declaration of force majeure, disrupting Nigeria’s oil exports at a time when global energy markets remain volatile.
Renaissance Group—a consortium that includes Nigerian firms Aradel Energy, First E&P, Waltersmith, and ND Western, along with international partner Petroline—finalized its acquisition of Shell’s former onshore assets in March 2025.
Decades of Pollution, Little Progress
Ogoniland, once a centrepiece of Nigeria’s oil economy, has borne the brunt of environmental degradation for decades. Despite its contributions to national revenue, the region has suffered chronic underdevelopment and repeated oil spills, with limited remediation or compensation.
In 2011, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released a landmark report detailing extensive damage in Ogoniland and recommending a 30-year clean-up process. However, implementation has been sluggish, and many communities continue to live amid unsafe conditions.
Local voices have grown increasingly critical of both the Nigerian government and oil operators, accusing them of placing profits over people.
A Pattern of Neglect
The Niger Delta has long struggled with pipeline sabotage and crude theft, issues that have driven major oil companies to shift focus to offshore operations. Industry giants like Shell, ExxonMobil, and TotalEnergies have exited onshore assets, citing security concerns and reputational risk.
The latest spill underscores how vulnerable these remaining operations are—and how little has changed for the communities living alongside them.
As Renaissance Group takes on the responsibility of managing these high-stakes assets, its response to this crisis will serve as an early litmus test of whether a new era of corporate engagement with local communities is truly possible—or just another chapter in a familiar story.