The Senate has passed a bill seeking to strengthen the
National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) with powers to impose
heavier fines and criminal penalties for oil spill violations.
The National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency
(Establishment) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2026, was passed after lawmakers adopted
a report presented on behalf of the Senate Committee on Environment. The bill
seeks to amend the NOSDRA Establishment Act of 2006 to give the agency a
stronger statutory basis for fines and criminal sanctions in enforcing
environmental laws in the petroleum sector.
Presenting the committee's report, Senate Chief Whip
Tahir Monguno said the amendment was meant to address persistent pollution in
the Niger Delta. He said oil spills have continued to damage the environment
and destroy livelihoods in oil-producing communities, particularly those that
depend on fishing and farming.
Monguno argued that existing penalties have not been
strong enough to discourage violations, making tougher sanctions necessary.
"The fines are not deterrent enough to deter offenders," he told the
Senate. He added that the bill would introduce criminal liability for spills
that damage the environment and deprive residents of their means of livelihood.
Lawmakers resolved into the Committee of the Whole to
consider the bill clause by clause. They approved Clauses 1 to 12, along with
the short title, explanatory memorandum and long title. Back in plenary, the
Senate read the bill a third time and passed it.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio commended the
Environment Committee for its work and congratulated NOSDRA on the additional
powers proposed under the legislation.
The bill's passage in the Senate is one step in the
legislative process, and it must still meet the remaining requirements before
it can become law.
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