Akwa Ibom community hosting nine oil assets still drinks water from a corked oil well

In Okoritak, a community within the Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, residents are forced to depend on water from a capped oil well for drinking and domestic use. This situation persists despite the community hosting nine significant oil and gas assets operated by major energy firms like Exxon Mobil, Seplat Energy, TotalEnergies, and others.

The community has issued a plea for immediate government and industry intervention to resolve its persistent potable water crisis. This call came after a stakeholders' roundtable on sustainable development, organized with support from the Clement Isong Foundation and the Ibeno Youth Advocacy Network. The meeting aimed to find practical solutions to the area's long-standing development challenges.

Concerns are mounting over the environmental and social conditions in Akwa Ibom's oil-producing communities. Okoritak's situation is particularly stark: residents, including women and children, have been observed fetching water directly from the capped oil well. This highlights the severe water crisis faced by the community, even with the presence of numerous oil and gas facilities.

The issue is amplified by Akwa Ibom's substantial revenue from oil production, receiving a large share from the 13 percent oil derivation fund. Reports indicate the state government has received trillions of Naira in revenue. Yet, this wealth has not translated into basic amenities like safe drinking water for communities like Okoritak, underscoring a significant disconnect between resource extraction and local development.