Delta Chiefs Push for Community Ownership Quota in Oil Block Licensing Round

The Association of Delta State Traditional Council of Chiefs has urged the Federal Government to allocate a stake to host communities and indigenous groups in the ongoing 50 oil blocks licensing round. The group insisted that oil-producing communities must not be excluded from owning assets located on their ancestral lands.

This position was presented by High Chief Oluma Azubuike Hawkins at the Nigerian Local Content Conference in Abuja, where the chiefs called for a reserved quota for community consortia and Niger Delta indigenous companies with verifiable ownership. They emphasized the need for a transparent framework that allows host communities to directly participate in the ownership and management of oil and gas assets.

The council also appealed to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission to ease entry barriers for community-backed bids. Suggested measures included flexible payment terms, instalment-based signature bonuses, technical partnerships with established firms, and targeted capacity-building programmes to prepare local consortia for participation.

In addition, the chiefs demanded a “right of first refusal” for host communities on oil assets within their territories. Meanwhile, conference convener Michael Akueche advocated broader citizen participation, proposing that 20 per cent equity in oil blocks be allocated to Nigerians through structured investment platforms to boost wealth creation, job opportunities, and economic inclusion.