The Senate has passed a bill seeking to strengthen the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency with powers to impose heavier fines and criminal penalties for oil spill violations.
The National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (Establishment) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2026, was passed after lawmakers adopted a report presented on behalf of the Senate Committee on Environment. The proposed legislation seeks to amend the NOSDRA Establishment Act of 2006 to provide a stronger statutory basis for fines and criminal sanctions in enforcing environmental laws in the petroleum sector.
Presenting the committee’s report, Senate Chief Whip Tahir Monguno said the amendment was intended to address persistent pollution in the Niger Delta. He said oil spills had continued to damage the environment and destroy livelihoods in oil-producing communities, particularly those dependent on fishing and farming.
Monguno argued that existing penalties had not been strong enough to discourage violations, making tougher sanctions necessary. “The fines are not deterrent enough to deter offenders,” he told the Senate. He added that the bill would introduce criminal liability in relation to spills that damage the environment and deprive residents of their means of livelihood.
Lawmakers dissolved into the Committee of the Whole to consider the bill clause by clause. They approved Clauses 1 to 12, along with the short title, explanatory memorandum and long title. After returning to plenary, the Senate read the bill a third time and passed it. The proposed amendment is intended to strengthen NOSDRA’s enforcement capacity and provide a firmer framework for addressing oil spill violations in the petroleum sector.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio commended the Environment Committee for its work and congratulated NOSDRA on the additional powers proposed under the legislation. The bill’s passage by the Senate is a step in the legislative process. It would need to complete the remaining requirements before becoming law.
