WARRI: A protest by the Itsekiri community in the Niger Delta has disrupted operations at the 28,000-barrel-per-day Escravos oil production facility at Ogidigben, one of seven communities in Ugborodo. This protest comes as a response to what the Itsekiri describe as an unjust proposed ward delineation by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The peaceful occupation of the facility, which was previously operated by Shell and is now managed by Renaissance Africa Energy Holdings, occurred early Wednesday morning. Men, women, and youths from the Itsekiri community participated in the demonstration, voicing their grievances about the proposed wards for Warri Federal Constituency. They claim that INEC’s delineation unfairly reduces the Itsekiri representation while increasing wards for other ethnic groups in the region.
The protesters have warned that further oil facility shutdowns could follow if their concerns are not addressed. This disruption comes at a critical time when Nigeria is already struggling to meet its 2025 oil production target of 2.06 million barrels per day.
In addition to the protest, Nigeria is also facing a downturn in oil revenue due to falling crude oil prices, which have been impacted by new trade tariffs imposed by the United States. Last week, the Trump administration introduced tariffs ranging from 10% to 65% on several countries, including Nigeria, which saw a 14% tariff on its exports to the U.S.
Minister of Finance Wale Edun stated that the government plans to boost non-oil revenue to cushion the effects of these tariffs. He assured that the Economic Management Team would evaluate the potential impact of the tariffs on Nigeria’s exports.
While Nigeria’s current oil production stands at 1.75 million barrels per day, OPEC’s allocation for the country is set at 1.5 million barrels per day. This adds further pressure to the nation’s oil sector.
Footage from the protest shows protesters singing and chanting in front of the facility, while armed security forces barricaded the area to prevent access. Prior to the shutdown, unrest had already spread, with Itsekiri youths and women marching across the three Warri local government areas in opposition to INEC’s proposed delineation. A peaceful demonstration was held at the Olu Palace field.
The Itsekiri protesters expressed concern that the new delineation favors the Ijaw and Urhobo communities by creating new wards for them, while reducing the number of wards for the Itsekiri, even in historically Itsekiri-dominated areas.
In a similar protest, leaders of the Okere-Urhobo kingdom in Warri South LGA also rejected INEC’s proposal, arguing that their population size justifies having four to six wards, not just the single ward proposed by INEC.
As tensions rise, the Itsekiri community has warned of escalating protests, including more shutdowns at critical oil and gas facilities, unless INEC revisits and revises its ward delineation.
Recently, INEC presented a report on a new delineation exercise, mandated by a Supreme Court ruling, and asked the three affected ethnic groups to review the report and submit their positions.
The current ward distribution in the region is as follows:
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Warri North LGA: 18 wards, with the Ijaws controlling 10 and the Itsekiris holding 8.
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Warri South-West LGA: 19 wards, with 14 allocated to the Ijaws and 5 to the Itsekiris.
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Warri South LGA: 20 wards, divided among the Urhobo (9), Itsekiri (8), and Ijaw (3).
