Tinubu Posthumously Confers National Honours on Ogoni Four, Backs Oil Exploration in Ogoniland

President Bola Tinubu has conferred posthumous national honours of the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) on four slain Ogoni leaders—Albert Badey, Edward Kobani, Theophilus Orage, and Samuel Orage—popularly remembered as the “Ogoni Four.”

The announcement was made on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, during the presentation of the report of the Ogoni Consultation Committee.

Calling for reconciliation and unity, Tinubu urged the Ogoni people to put decades of division behind them and move forward together.

“May their memories continue to inspire unity, courage, and purpose among us. I urge the Ogoni people across classes, communities, and generations to close ranks and move forward as a united community with one voice,” he said.

The President pledged his administration’s support for peacebuilding, environmental cleanup, and economic renewal in Ogoniland, while also confirming plans for the resumption of oil production in the region.

He recalled that in 2022, the previous administration transferred operatorship of the Ogoni oil field to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and its partners, adding that his government would sustain that decision. Tinubu directed the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, to immediately begin engagement between Ogoni communities, NNPCL, and other stakeholders to finalise modalities for restarting operations.

Oil exploration in Ogoniland was halted in 1993 after mass protests against environmental degradation, culminating in the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other activists in 1995.

“A dead asset is not valuable to the community, the country, or the people. The longer we procrastinate, the worse it is for everyone,” Tinubu said, further instructing the Minister of Environment to integrate environmental remediation into ongoing dialogue with the people.

He added:

“Let us together turn pain into purpose, conflict into cooperation, and transform the wealth beneath Ogoni soil into a blessing for the people and for Nigeria.”

Committee Report
Presenting the consultation report, Ribadu said the exercise engaged all four Ogoni zones, traditional rulers, local communities, and the diaspora. He stressed that the process was aimed at rebuilding trust after years of conflict.

Committee Chairman, Prof. Don Baridam, noted that the report reflected the collective will of the Ogoni people, capturing their demands for structured participation in oil production, environmental restoration, and sustainable development.

Stakeholders also agreed that the report should serve as a blueprint, to be implemented by an inter-agency task force involving NNPCL, relevant ministries, and the Ogoni Dialogue Committee.