Warri Monarch Laments Rising Poverty in Oil-rich Niger Delta

The Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III, has lamented the rising poverty of the people of the Niger Delta where the oil wealth of the nation comes from.

The Olu lamented that the people of the Niger Delta have been despite having one of the largest oil and gas deposits in the country.

According to him, too many communities under his jurisdiction grapple with poverty, lack of access to education, accessible healthcare, and environmental pollution.

The traditional ruler stated this in his speech titled, ‘Business beyond profits: Expanding the frontiers of corporate social responsibility and community development for Africa’s development’, delivered at the Africa Leadership Summit organised by the Africa Leadership organisation in London obtained by journalists in Abuja.

The traditional ruler expressed dismay that year after year, companies engage in corporate social responsibility activities across communities in the region but with very little impact.

He said, “Today, African businesses are thriving and our entrepreneurs are still ambitious. However, a deep societal linkage and community upliftment through business is less prevalent. Indeed, the pursuit of profit, while essential, has drawbacks.

“I reign over a kingdom with one of the largest oil and gas activities in the country. However, in our communities, we’ve seen the growing gap in inequality, environmental degradation, and missed opportunities for societal advancement. Too many of our communities grapple with poverty, lack of access to education, accessible healthcare, and environmental pollution amongst many other issues.