What drives me - Brenda Miseh Agidi

Since oil production began in 1958, the Niger Delta has been massively contaminated with crude oil due to leaks, theft and sabotage. Contaminated fields and polluted rivers have robbed farmers and fishermen of their livelihoods. Today, the region is considered to be one of the most polluted in the world. Lead and benzene are particularly dangerous. These highly toxic substances permanently damage people's health and the environment. In many households, even the water from the tap smells of oil.

My doctoral thesis in hydrogeology begins with an inventory of the pollutant load: I collect data on site to understand how much lead and benzene is actually present in the groundwater. I take into account factors such as rainfall, soil properties and the structure of the aquifer. This allows me to model how the pollutants would degrade naturally - a crucial step in developing suitable countermeasures.

The second part of my work is about concrete solutions. I am experimenting with filter material made from special natural materials that are produced in large quantities as a waste product in Nigeria. They are available locally, have hardly been used to date and could form the basis for an inexpensive filter that removes pollutants from tap and well water directly in households. This would enable the population to produce clean drinking water themselves.

My research project is funded by the Petroleum Development Trust Fund in Nigeria. This does not restrict the content of my work. On the contrary, I am grateful that the industry is at least making a contribution to limiting the massive damage.

I am motivated by the fact that my research is not just theoretical, but could improve the lives of local people in a very concrete way. I hope that the inhabitants of the Niger Delta or elsewhere will one day have access to clean water again as a matter of course - for their families, their fields and their future.

This article appeared in the university magazine publik 2025/3. Text: Vanessa Laspe.