Attacks by militants in Nigeria's Niger Delta region cut the country's oil production nearly in half. Now, the Nigerian government has opened talks aimed at restoring peace in the oil-producing region.
Community leaders from the Niger Delta took part in a closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the state house in Abuja Tuesday.
The government hopes the talks will help pave the way to peace in the Niger Delta and allow full oil production to resume, a development that would give a big boost to Nigeria's ailing economy.
For decades, youth in the Delta have protested against the government, prompted mainly by widespread poverty and accusations that oil companies have polluted the land.
A new group called the Niger Delta Avengers has claimed responsibility for dozens of attacks on oil pipelines and other infrastructure in the region in the past year.
But the Niger Delta Avengers did not send its spokesperson to today’s meeting. The group remains anonymous.
Niger Delta Avengers have been demanding more localized control of the wealth generated from the oil pumped out their communities. That would mean changing the structure of Nigeria’s federalism to give more power to the people of the region.
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