About IWG
The International Working Group on Petroleum Pollution and Just Transition in the Niger Delta (IWG) was established following the landmark Bayelsa State Oil and Environmental Commission’s (BSOEC) report: An Environmental Genocide which revealed the devastating environmental, social, and economic crises facing Bayelsa State and the broader Niger Delta caused by International Oil Companies (IOCs).
The report called for a new legal framework and action plan that can be implemented in Bayelsa and beyond to ensure accountability, mandate clean-up and remediation of polluted sites, and prevent future harm.
The IWG brings together commissioners, Nigerian civil society, and international partners to drive change. Our work connects local struggles in the Niger Delta with global debates on climate justice, loss and damage, and energy transition—ensuring that the lessons learned in Bayelsa shape more equitable outcomes across Africa and the Global South.
Our Vision
Addressing the crisis in the Niger Delta requires a comprehensive and collaborative effort among researchers, civil society, local and national governments, community leaders, and global stakeholders.
It is the ambition of the IWG, that Bayelsa can lead the way in providing a model for what a just energy transition looks like when reparative justice for oil-impacted communities is central.
The IWG also emphasizes the international dimension of responsibility. Achieving equitable outcomes requires accountability not only from international oil companies, but also from their home governments, host governments, and the broader international community, all of whom must work collectively to ensure fairness and justice for affected communities.
Our Mission
The IWG advances the Bayelsa report’s recommendations by providing a global platform to amplify the voices of communities most affected by fossil fuel production. It supports Nigerian stakeholders - including the Bayelsa State Government, civil society, and the media - while building international awareness and securing support for implementation. Its focus is on delivering clear, evidence-based advice and action.
A key objective of the IWG is to challenge the prevailing narrative around IOC “divestment.” For over a decade, IOCs have sold onshore and shallow-water assets in the Niger Delta under the banner of divestment, even as they expand deep-water operations. This process has left behind pollution, conflict, and liabilities passed to local companies that lack the capacity or incentive to address them.
Divestment has enabled IOCs to walk away from decades of environmental and social harm. The IWG seeks to reframe this process and redefine “just transition” by placing environmental justice and clean-up at its core.
As global debates centre on transition finance, loss and damage, and accountability, the Niger Delta offers a vital case study. Addressing these issues must begin with the realities of extraction.