A community leader in the Niger Delta, Ambassador Frederick Igere, JP, has lamented the lack of tangible infrastructural development in the region, particularly in coastal communities, despite reports of increased oil production attributed to improved pipeline surveillance.

Amb. Igere, who hails from Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, said the reported improvement in oil output should be matched by visible progress in the communities where oil and gas activities take place.

The ambassdor of peace expressed concern that many people in the region, particularly those in the creeks continue to face inadequate infrastructure and limited access to essential services.

He stressed that development in the Niger Delta should be reflected in practical improvements to residents’ daily lives, including better roads and waterways, reliable electricity, clean water, functional schools and accessible healthcare.

According to him, communities should be able to see the benefits of increased production through projects and services that respond to their most pressing needs.

The community leader also raised alarm over creek communities where erosion is gradually eating away at land and putting homes, public facilities and livelihoods at risk, a development he said called for urgent shore protection measures, which should be treated as a priority, to help curb erosion threatening coastal settlements.

Amb. Igere further urged the relevant authorities to consider sand-filling and reclamation projects for communities in the creeks that are being submerged, noting that such interventions would help reclaim and preserve vulnerable settlements, safeguard the people’s homes and protect the future of communities facing the threat of disappearing beneath rising water.

He cautioned against the use oil pollution as a reason to deny or delay development due to the people, maintaining that environmental concerns and community development are both important responsibilities that should be addressed together.

"While pollution must be investigated and affected areas properly remediated, it should not become a justification for withholding basic infrastructure or shoreline protection from host communities," he warned.

Amb. Igere called on relevant authorities and stakeholders to ensure that improved production and pipeline surveillance are accompanied by deliberate, measurable development initiatives across the Niger Delta.

He urged them to engage host communities and establish priorities that reflect local needs, especially in hard-to-reach coastal areas and settlements threatened by erosion and submergence.

He also appealed for sustained attention to the region’s development challenges, noting that lasting progress would require coordinated action by government, oil and gas operators, development institutions and community leaders.

Amb. Igere said a fair approach should recognize both the Niger Delta’s contribution to the nation’s oil production and the need for its communities to experience meaningful development, environmental responsibility and protection from the loss of their land.