Former President Goodluck Jonathan has recounted how he risked his life by entering a militant camp in the Niger Delta without armed security to negotiate peace, describing the move as a defining moment in efforts to stabilise Nigeria’s oil-producing region.
Jonathan said his relationship with the oil industry began in childhood when he witnessed the development of oil facilities near his community in present-day Bayelsa State.
He added that his career later took him from academia into environmental management, where he participated in scientific studies assessing the impact of oil exploration across the Niger Delta.
The former president made the remarks on Monday while delivering the chairman’s address at the De Mangrove Conversation, organised in collaboration with the Bayelsa State Government, the Niger Delta Development Commission, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, Renaissance Africa Energy and the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation at the NCDMB Conference Hall in Yenagoa.
Jonathan said his experience as a scientist, governor, vice president and president gave him a unique perspective on the challenges facing the region.
