Ijaw Leaders Assert Rights to Resources in Niger Delta, Demand Recognition

Ijaw Youth Council leaders emphasized the non-negotiable rights of the Ijaw people to their land and resources in the Niger Delta region. At a meeting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, they demanded that host communities be prioritized in policy and project development, stressing the constitutional and legal rights of the Ijaw people to control their natural resources.

The leaders criticized a decade of neglect by government and oil companies, leading to environmental degradation and underdevelopment in Ijaw communities despite their significant contributions to Nigeria's oil wealth. They called for a deliberate recognition of the Ijaw people's stake in the country's economy and urged for inclusive policy frameworks that benefit the community.