Speaking to Channel Africa, Nnimmo Bassey, Director of the Health of Mother Earth Foundation, said there is a growing disconnect between global climate commitments and the actions of governments and oil companies. Bassey argued that the justification often cited for continued fossil fuel development, particularly energy security, does not reflect underlying realities.

Bassey said political and corporate interests appear closely aligned, with economic incentives taking precedence over environmental concerns. Bassey described the energy security argument as unconvincing, suggesting that it is driven largely by profit motives and short-term financial considerations rather than long-term sustainability.

On the role of major oil companies, including Shell, Bassey said current strategies are not aligned with the goals of the Paris Agreement or global emissions reduction targets. Bassey said commitments to reduce emissions remain insufficient and warned that global climate discussions are increasingly shaped by approaches that do not adequately address the scale of the crisis.

The debate is particularly complex in Africa, where countries continue to argue for the right to pursue development pathways that include the use of natural resources. Bassey acknowledged the continent’s energy deficits and development needs but questioned the reliance on continued fossil fuel extraction. Bassey said much of Africa’s oil production is geared toward export markets rather than domestic energy access.

According to Bassey, Africa has significant potential to expand renewable energy and could play a leading role in the global transition to cleaner energy systems. Bassey said a stronger focus on renewable resources would offer a more sustainable pathway for addressing both energy access and development.

Bassey pointed to Nigeria’s Niger Delta as an example of the long-term consequences of extractive industries. Decades of oil production have resulted in widespread environmental degradation, with communities facing pollution, poor living conditions and economic hardship despite the region’s resource wealth.

Bassey said a just energy transition for affected communities would require systems that give local populations greater control over energy production and distribution. Bassey also said there is a need to ensure that new forms of energy extraction do not replicate patterns of exploitation associated with fossil fuel industries.

On accountability, Bassey said oil companies should be held financially responsible for environmental damage and climate-related losses. Bassey raised the issue of “climate debt”, arguing that corporations operating in the Global South should contribute to large-scale environmental restoration efforts.

Calls for stronger regulation were also highlighted. Bassey said enforcement of environmental laws remains weak in many producing countries, allowing harmful practices such as gas flaring to continue despite being prohibited for decades in some jurisdictions.

Bassey also pointed to increasing use of litigation as a tool to hold companies accountable, suggesting that legal action may play a key role in driving compliance and addressing environmental harm.

Looking more broadly across the continent, Bassey described a pattern of environmental degradation, displacement and declining livelihoods linked to extractive industries. Communities in oil-producing regions face polluted land, water and air, which undermine agriculture and deepen poverty.