Nigerian Activist Boycotts COP30, Calls It a "Ritual" with No Real Change

Nnimmo Bassey, a prominent Nigerian environmentalist, is preparing to attend the upcoming COP30 climate summit in Brazil next month, but with little enthusiasm. Bassey, who has been at the forefront of environmental struggles in Africa's largest oil-producing country for decades, believes the COP summits are merely "rituals" where states participate "while knowing that nothing serious will come of it."

Rather than engaging with policymakers at the official COP30 talks, Bassey plans to focus his efforts on meetings with fellow environmental activists on the sidelines of the event. "For us as activists, the COP provides spaces for solidarity, for meeting other people, sharing ideas, and organizing in a different way," he explains.

Bassey's skepticism stems from the ongoing environmental devastation in Nigeria's Niger Delta, where oil spills have ravaged the region for decades. Since the 1950s, when crude oil was first discovered in southern Nigeria, between 9 and 13 million barrels of oil have been spilled into the Delta, according to independent experts. Despite this, the Nigerian government is pushing to increase national oil production, with the number of active drilling rigs rising from 31 to 50 between January and July 2025.

Bassey remains hopeful, however, that the tide may turn as a new generation of young activists rises up to demand action on environmental issues. "There's a big groundswell of people who are rising up... young people rising up," he says, expressing inspiration at this growing movement.