Ondo State’s vast bitumen deposits, among the largest in the world, are posing serious environmental and socio-economic challenges for host communities, according to a recent study by the Ibadan-based Nigerian Environmental Study Action Team (NEST).
The research, conducted by Victoria Sasere, warned that heavy metal concentrations exceeding regulatory thresholds, surface seepages that have expanded over the past three decades, degradation of water resources, and persistently low community incomes collectively constitute a clear case of environmental injustice.
The study called for urgent, evidence-based interventions, including stronger regulations, mandatory environmental impact assessments, community consultation, and remediation measures to ensure that Ondo State’s resources benefit both the economy and the people living atop them.
“The bitumen belt represents enormous potential, but current practices are creating an obvious case of environmental injustice,” Sasere said. She warned that without prompt intervention, the combination of expanding surface seepages, contaminated water, and limited livelihood options could entrench cycles of poverty and environmental harm in the state.
Ondo State’s bitumen belt displays a paradox often seen in resource-rich areas: abundant wealth existing alongside socioeconomic marginalisation, environmental degradation, and institutional inertia. Surface-level seepages, particularly in the southern part of the state, serve as visible indicators of the substantial reserves beneath.
The research confirmed the presence of bitumen across six blocks in several local government areas (LGAs), including Odigbo, Irele, and Okitipupa, with communities such as Ode-Irele and Agbabu studied extensively for these seepages.
Scientific evidence indicates that current governance practices, including uncontrolled geogenic seepage, exploratory soil disturbance, regulatory inaction, and the exclusion of host communities from resource revenues, have created a multidimensional crisis of environmental contamination and socio-economic marginalisation.
Studies show that natural bitumen is seeping to the surface in communities including Agbabu, Ode-Irele, Ludasa, and Idioilayo. These seepages release heavy metals and toxic compounds into soil and water at concentrations exceeding national safety limits. Residents relying on wells and streams for drinking water face heightened health risks, including potential exposure to lead, arsenic, and other toxic elements.
Local farmers report declining crop yields, attributing it to bitumen-impregnated soil that reduces fertility and water retention. Heavy metals are also accumulating in edible plants, creating dietary exposure pathways for residents.
In addition, water bodies near affected areas often develop films of bitumen after rainfall, which suppress oxygen exchange, reduce aquatic life, and impair the natural self-purification capacity of streams.
Despite resource richness, host communities have seen little economic benefit. Surveys revealed that many residents live on less than a third of the World Bank’s international extreme poverty threshold of $2.15 per day. A comprehensive socio-economic study across nine communities in Odigbo, Irele, and Okitipupa LGAs found that the mean daily income is approximately $0.67 (N1,139), highlighting a stark contrast between resource wealth and local poverty.
The study attributed the gap between resource abundance and community benefit to regulatory weaknesses, minimal engagement by mining companies, and exclusion of local populations from revenue generated by bitumen exploration. Statistical analysis further confirms a significant negative association between bitumen exploration activities and community well-being, implying that exploration has not yielded positive livelihood outcomes for host populations.
This pattern mirrors broader trends in Nigeria, where oil, despite accounting for 95 per cent of export earnings and 90 per cent of government revenue over six decades, has failed to translate into broad-based economic development. Over 70 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line, and historically, 90 per cent of oil revenue has accrued to just 1 per cent of the population.
The researcher warned that unless urgent, coordinated action is taken to regulate bitumen exploration, remediate contaminated land and water, and involve local communities in decision-making, Ondo State risks deepening cycles of poverty and environmental harm while leaving its vast natural resources largely untapped for sustainable development.
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