Global reliance on oil and gas for energy puts pressure on oil-bearing countries to expand production and exports. Nigeria and other countries in the Gulf of Guinea are experiencing rapid expansion in exploration and production of oil and gas, including the construction of trans-border pipelines. This poses some challenges, as oil and gas production, transportation and trading have often resulted in negative social and environmental impacts.

In Nigeria, the character of oil and gas exploration and production have encouraged a social organisation that entrenches the destruction of the natural environment and community livelihoods, communal conflicts, over reliance on oil revenues, massive corruption and damage to the national economy, social inequality and a regime of state repression.

Social Action supports community and citizens’ actions to redress the negative impacts of oil and gas investments and promotes recognition of the primacy of development needs of communities such as education, healthcare, water, income generation, human rights, security, grassroots democracy etc.

· The Energy and Climate Programme works with community volunteers to monitor environmental and social practices by the government and oil and gas companies in the Niger Delta area of Nigeria and campaigns for changes in environmental and social policy and practice. Social Action works with community groups to ensure that the oil and gas production costs borne by communities through environmental degradation and loss of livelihoods are recognised and restituted by the government and oil and gas companies.

· The organisation works with communities, citizens groups to monitor legislations and practices on the exploitation of solid minerals in Nigeria to ensure that the environment, community rights and livelihoods are protected in investments in the sector.

· Social Action is supporting citizens’ activities that will encourage acceleration of measures to eliminate routine gas flaring and the compensation of local victims and restitution of the environmental damage. The organisation also works with networks of civil society organisations and government agencies to encourage progressive global frameworks to address climate change and to monitor compliance and implementation of global instruments at the national and regional levels.