OGONI/Nigeria: The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has expressed optimism that ongoing dialogue between the Federal Government and the Ogoni people could mark a turning point in the decades-long campaign for environmental justice, development and political inclusion in Ogoniland.
Speaking at the Ogoni National Rally held at Bera Central Field, Gokana Kingdom, on Saturday, MOSOP President Mr. Fegalo Nsuke said recent engagements initiated by the Federal Government had renewed hope that longstanding grievances affecting the Ogoni people could be resolved through peaceful dialogue.
Nsuke traced the current process to January 21, 2025, when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu directed the National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, to begin consultations with Ogoni stakeholders, leading to the establishment of the Ogoni Dialogue Committee.
He said the committee subsequently held extensive consultations across Ogoniland before submitting its recommendations to the President on September 24, 2025, describing the process as a significant departure from previous government approaches to the Ogoni question.
According to the MOSOP leader, the dialogue represents the first time in more than three decades that the Federal Government has pursued what he described as an Ogoni-led engagement rather than focusing primarily on the resumption of oil exploration in the area.
Reflecting on the movement’s 36-year struggle, Nsuke said many Ogoni families had endured hardship, lost loved ones and continued to live with the consequences of years of conflict and state repression.
Despite those challenges, he maintained that the sacrifices made by the people had not been in vain, expressing confidence that the current engagement offered an opportunity to pursue lasting peace and sustainable development.
“The story has changed; the uncertainties of the past are paving way to a new and prosperous Ogoni,” he said.
Nsuke commended President Tinubu for supporting dialogue as a means of addressing the Ogoni issue and also acknowledged the role of the National Security Adviser in facilitating discussions between the Federal Government and Ogoni stakeholders.
He equally paid tribute to past leaders and members of the Ogoni movement, saying their sacrifices had sustained the struggle through some of its most difficult periods.
The MOSOP president urged the Federal Government to accelerate discussions on implementing agreements arising from the dialogue process, while calling on Ogoni communities to remain united and committed to peaceful engagement.
He stressed that dialogue remained the most effective path to resolving the Ogoni question, urging the people to seize what he described as a rare opportunity to secure a more stable and prosperous future for Ogoniland.
