Ogoni youths in Rivers State have made the creation of Bori State a major condition for any fresh attempt by the Federal Government to restart oil exploration in Ogoniland.
The youths, under the Ogoni Youths Development Initiative (OYDI), said they would resist moves to recommence oil operations in the area until their demand for a separate state was addressed.
President of OYDI, Imeabe Saviour, disclosed the position in a September 8, 2026 letter to President Bola Tinubu, warning that the group was preparing for a statewide protest if oil activities resumed without the creation of Bori State.
The letter, titled, “Notice of Protest Against Oil Resumption in Ogoniland Without Creation of Bori State,” was also copied to the Senate President, National Security Adviser, Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), among others.
Saviour said the youths were not rejecting oil exploration outright, stressing that a properly managed return of the industry could stimulate economic activity and development in Ogoniland.
He, however, demanded an end to what the group described as clandestine oil drilling in the area, particularly while discussions between the Federal Government and representatives of the Ogoni people over oil resumption were still underway.
The youths also called for the immediate dissolution of the Ogoni Dialogue Committee, arguing that its composition no longer enjoyed the confidence of the people it was expected to represent in negotiations with the Federal Government.
According to the group, any decision on the return of oil operations must take into consideration the broader political and developmental aspirations of the Ogoni people, including the demand for Bori State.
“The leadership and entire membership of the Ogoni Youths Development Initiative hereby notifies the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Federal Government of our intentions to embark on a statewide protest in the coming weeks against oil resumption without the creation of Bori State,” the letter stated.
The group maintained that its position should not be interpreted as opposition to economic development, insisting that the concern was about ensuring that the people of Ogoniland were adequately protected and carried along before oil activities recommenced.
It further described reported moves toward resuming oil operations without resolving outstanding issues as “clandestine and insincere,” insisting that the Federal Government must address the state creation demand as part of the process.
The development could add a fresh layer to ongoing discussions over the return of oil exploration to Ogoniland, with the youths now linking the proposed economic activity to a long-standing political demand for the creation of Bori State.
