13% Derivation: Revisiting the Struggle Led by Chief Wellington Okrika, Wake-Up Call to Oil Producing Communities
For decades, a dangerous and misleading narrative has taken root in public discourse: that the 13 per cent derivation belongs to state governments. This distortion has not only deprived oil-producing communities of their rightful benefits, it has also erased the sacrifices of those who fought, risked their safety and negotiated relentlessly to secure that historic concession.
As a new year begins, the Niger Delta Civil Society Forum insists, without equivocation, that the 13 percent derivation was won by oil-producing communities, not by governors.
The derivation principle did not emerge from executive generosity or political lobbying by state governments. It was forged in the crucible of resistance during the 1994/1995 Constitutional Conference convened by the late General Sani Abacha, when long-suppressed national grievances were brought to the front burner.
At that conference, oil-producing communities of the Niger Delta rose as a united front against decades of environmental devastation, economic exclusion and political neglect, seizing a rare opportunity to demand justice within Nigeria’s constitutional framework.
At the centre of that historic struggle stood the founding father of Host Communities of Nigeria, Oil and Gas, Chief (Dr.) Wellington Okrika, later nicknamed as “Mr. 13 Per Cent.” He coordinated the oil states’ position with courage, clarity and uncommon dedication, submitting detailed papers supported by data, environmental evidence and economic analysis to justify the demand for increased derivation. His leadership provided intellectual direction and moral force to a movement rooted in community survival rather than political ambition.
As for the push, Traditional rulers, elders, women leaders and civil society actors from Bayelsa, Delta, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo and other oil-bearing areas came together in rare unity, setting aside internal differences to confront a common injustice. Figures such as the late Charles Ayemi-Botu, Pere of Siembiri Kingdom and former National Chairman of the Traditional Rulers of Oil Minerals Producing Communities of Nigeria, alongside members of Host Communities of Nigeria, Oil and Gas, and many other community leaders, stood firm in defence of their people. Their collective demand was bold and unapologetic and they achieved an increase in derivation from the insulting three per cent to 13 per cent.
What eventually emerged from the constitutional conference was a hard-won compromise—13 per cent derivation—approved by General Sani Abacha in recognition of the unique burden borne by oil-producing communities. That approval remains one of the most consequential decisions in Nigeria’s constitutional evolution, anchored on the simple principle that communities which produce the wealth of the nation must not be left impoverished, polluted and excluded from the benefits of that wealth.
Crucially, this entire struggle was fought without the involvement of state governors. Governors neither led the negotiations nor bore the political risks associated with confronting the Nigerian state at the time. Yet, over the years, state governments have positioned themselves as the primary beneficiaries of derivation, converting a community compensation mechanism into discretionary state revenue.
As Nigeria begins 2026, the Niger Delta Civil Society Forum says the time has come to reclaim historical truth and restore honour to those who fought this battle. Chief Wellington Okrika, now advanced in age, remains a living symbol of that struggle, even as his legacy has been overshadowed by the political appropriation of derivation funds.
The continued portrayal of 13 per cent derivation as a state entitlement is not merely inaccurate; it is a betrayal of history and a denial of justice.
This advocacy is not driven by sentiment, but by facts. Derivation was conceived as a community compensation mechanism, rooted in justice, participation and environmental equity. It was designed to ensure that oil-producing communities are active stakeholders in the oil economy, not passive victims of extraction.
The Niger Delta Civil Society Forum formally calls on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take decisive action by establishing a Presidential Monitoring Committee on 13 per cent Derivation, mandated to oversee transparency, compliance and community impact. The Forum also urges the President to direct the creation of functional Derivation Boards in every oil-producing state, with statutory community representation, so that derivation funds can reach their rightful beneficiaries in line with history and law.
The start of 2026 must mark a turning point. The 13 percent derivation is not a favour. It is not a political reward. It is the product of sacrifice by oil-producing communities. The Forum reaffirms its commitment to ensuring that the truth behind derivation is no longer buried, and that the voices of those who fought for it finally shape how it is implemented in Nigeria.
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The National Coordinator, Niger Delta Civil society forum, Comrade Ezekiel Kagbala
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