YENAGOA, Nigeria, June 22 (Reuters) - Nigerian energy firm Aiteo has resumed production after stopping an oil leak at its nearly 50,000 barrels per day (bpd) Nembe field earlier this week in southern Bayelsa state, the company said.

Aiteo, which runs a joint venture with state oil company NNPC Ltd, had said the leak was reported on Monday during routine operations in the Nembe area, a heavily polluted region after decades of spills that have hurt farming and fishing.

"Our dedicated team has worked diligently to address the issues caused by the recent incident and implemented enhanced safety protocols to prevent future occurrences," Aiteo said in a statement seen by Reuters on Saturday.

"We are delighted to confirm the resumption of production activities."

The Nembe Creek facility is the largest of 11 fields under an oil mining lease operated by Aiteo, which also produces significant natural gas that supplies the Nigerian liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant at Bonny Island. (Writing by MacDonald Dzirutwe Editing by Mark Potter)