Nigeria, May 18 -- Environmental activist Nnimmo Bassey has called on journalists covering Nigeria's Niger Delta to intensify scrutiny of oil companies and government regulators, saying sustained investigative reporting is critical to exposing environmental abuses in the region.

Mr Bassey made the call on Monday while speaking at the 2026 Correspondents' Week organised by the Correspondents' Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Rivers State Council, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Delivering a lecture titled "The Imperatives of Comprehensive Cleanup of the Niger Delta Environment: Role of the Media," Mr Bassey accused oil firms of manipulating public opinion and downplaying the extent of oil exploration pollution activities.

"Th...