Nigeria's Future: Better Without Crude Oil, Says Activist

Dr. Nnimmo Bassey, the Executive Director of the Health of Mother Earth Foundation, declared that Nigeria's economy and social structure would be better off without crude oil, which has become the country's dominant source of revenue.

Speaking in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, during a keynote address at a Nigeria Union of Journalists event, he criticized the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) for failing to address oil theft and pipeline vandalism. Bassey highlighted that Nigeria's reliance on oil has destroyed agriculture and weakened infrastructure, leading to economic dependency.

He argued that Nigeria once thrived on agricultural products before becoming heavily reliant on crude oil. He also warned of the ecological devastation in the Niger Delta and called for urgent environmental cleanup.

Bassey criticized the government for ignoring the plight of the Niger Delta communities and urged Nigeria to embrace alternative global economic alliances, such as BRICS, to counter Western economic dominance.