Reps Seek Urgent Intervention as Erosion Threatens Bayelsa Petrochemical Project

(House of Representatives. Photo Credit: Leadership News)

The House of Representatives on Tuesday urged the Federal Government to deploy resources from the Ecological Fund to halt shoreline erosion threatening a major indigenous petrochemical investment in Bayelsa State.

The call followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by the member representing Yenagoa/Kolokuma/Opokuma Federal Constituency, Oforji Oboku.

Addressing his colleagues, Oboku warned that continued erosion at the Eraskorp Industrial Park in Gbarain, Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, could undermine years of investment and derail a project expected to boost Nigeria’s manufacturing sector.

He described the Eraskon Lubricants/Chemicals Blending Plant as a strategic private-sector investment designed to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported lubricants and chemical products while supporting the country’s industrialisation and economic diversification agenda, explaining that the project represents an indigenous investment in the petrochemical industry aimed at boosting local manufacturing and advancing national economic goals.

The lawmaker explained that the facility includes a lubricant and chemical blending plant with a production capacity of 128,000 litres per day, as well as an aerosol manufacturing plant and a carton production factory.

According to him, before shoreline erosion severely affected the site, construction had reached an advanced stage, with major equipment already procured and installed.

Oboku warned that the environmental damage had significantly delayed the project and placed the investment at risk, noting that severe shoreline erosion has caused extensive damage to the site and now threatens the viability of the entire venture.

The Bayelsa lawmaker disclosed that the Integrated Manufacturing Complex building, which had reached about 75 per cent completion, had to be dismantled after erosion exposed and destroyed its foundation piles and shoreline protection structures.

He noted that virtually all the process equipment required for the plant had already been delivered to the site, with several critical components nearing completion before the erosion worsened, explaining that the building’s superstructure was 75 per cent complete, roofing works about 40 per cent complete, and the base oil storage tanks approximately 70 per cent complete at the time.

Oboku argued that abandoning the project would carry serious economic consequences, noting that it is expected to create over 200 direct jobs and more than 1,000 indirect employment opportunities upon completion, while also stimulating the growth of small and medium-scale enterprises, expanding local manufacturing capacity, and generating additional revenue for both Bayelsa State and the Federal Government.

Citing Sections 14(2)(b) and 16 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which mandate government to promote national prosperity, industrial development and the protection of investments that drive economic growth, the lawmaker urged the Federal Government to intervene without delay.

Following the adoption of the motion, the House called on the Federal Government to direct the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to utilise the Ecological Fund to finance shoreline protection and erosion control works at the Eraskorp Industrial Park and surrounding communities in Gbarain.

The House also mandated its Committee on Ecological Fund to facilitate the implementation of the resolution and report back within six weeks for further legislative action.

Shoreline erosion remains one of the most persistent environmental challenges confronting communities across the Niger Delta, where rising water levels, coastal degradation and recurrent flooding have destroyed homes, public infrastructure and private investments.

Industry stakeholders have repeatedly called for greater investment in erosion control and shoreline protection, warning that unchecked environmental degradation continues to discourage investment and slow industrial development in the oil-producing region.