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British Prime Minister Gordon Brown offered military training to Nigeria's President Umaru Yar'Adua to help fight militants and oil smugglers.
But activists said more military action would result in more militant groups springing up to oppose it.
Mr Yar'Adua says there is a cartel dealing in "blood oil" from Nigeria.
He says this trade is behind much of the violence in the oil-producing Niger Delta.
Attacks on oil installations and the kidnapping for ransom of oil workers has cut Nigeria's production by about 25%.
The Delta's most publically visible group, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend) also condemned the UK's offer.
"Without justice, security and peace will be elusive. Mend will ensure that," spokesman Jomo Gbomo told the BBC.
Patrick Naagbanton, of the Centre for Environment, Human Rights and Development (CEHRD) said Mr Brown did not understand the problems of the Niger Delta.
"He's acting on the spur of the moment. He needs to have a better understanding of the situation,"
"It will just lead to a mushrooming of hardened armed groups."
Mr Brown also reaffirmed the UK's commitment to help Nigeria improve the accountability and transparency of government.
Anyakwee Nsirimovu, of the Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (IHRHL) based in Port Harcourt said the offer was a "public relations exercise".
"It's a systemic failure. Government does not want to improve the capacity. They are deliberately running a one-party state with no alternatives.
"Until people can take a role in confirming or rejecting the people in power, it's just a PR exercise."
President Yar'Adua came to power last year in elections that were widely condemned by observers for not being free or fair.
The Delta region saw the worst of the rigging, with armed gangs stealing ballot boxes and intimidating voters.
(BBC)
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