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Oil and gas together constitute over 90% of Nigerian foreign-exchange earnings. The Niger Delta is the main seat of oil and gas production in Nigeria. It is a fact that all aspects of oil and gas exploration and exploitation have harmful effects on the local ecosystem.
The Niger Delta is where almost all of Nigeria’s oil comes from, but ironically, it remains one of the poorest in the country. Over the last five decades, Niger Delta has given multinational oil corporations and the Nigerian state infringed exploration access but quite unfortunately, the territory remains alienated from all types of development and all essence of quality human life.
Image: Niger Delta Gas Flares, Sourced at: Wikimedia Commons
In protest, there have been renewed attacks on oil and gas installations in the region. Some agitators are in support of these attacks - that have reduced Nigeria’s daily oil production from about 2.2 million to 1.7 million barrel. Others see it as economic sabotage as well as political sabotage. Some see it as a justified struggle to salvage a dire situation. Some also condemn the violent approach but call for dialogue as the best way towards resolution of issues and conflicts.
Here is why they should not be hated for their actions.
1. Environmental Degradation:
Oil Spills: The Niger Delta has suffered for decades from oil spills, which occur both on land and offshore. Oil spills on land destroy crops and damage the quality and productivity of soil that communities use for farming. Oil in water damages fisheries and contaminates water that people use for drinking and other domestic purposes.
2. Gas Flaring: In the Niger Delta, gas flaring, ocean surge pose a major environmental and health challenge, while population explosion has also led to increased quest for land farming and grazing of animals. Aside health problems that range from respiratory problems to eye irritations, there is destruction of farmlands due to acid rain. There is also much noise, constant heat and radiating light that could lead to sleep deprivation which in turn could degenerate into insomnia. Since flaring involves the output of carbon dioxide and sulphur, the heart and lungs can be affected, leading to lung illnesses and cardiac complications.
According to environmental experts, Nigeria accounts for one sixth of gas flaring in the world, and this is they say is largely responsible for some health issues like cancer and leukemia.
Economic experts have condemned the Nigerian government for being only interested in maximizing the monetary profits from oil production to the detriment of the people living in the area where the oil is produced and gas is flared. Oil companies, it is believed, find it more economically more convenient to flare the natural gas and pay the inconsequential fine than to re-inject the gas back into the oil wells or convert it to electricity for the people in the area. Various legislative measures to curb gas flaring in Nigeria have been in place since 1969.
The communities have expressed displeasure over the manner in which the firms flare gas and abandon the people to their fate. They are also displeased with the manner in which the federal government and the Department of Petroleum Resources collect fines from oil firms involved in gas flaring. They have argued that the federal government, which enacted the law against gas flaring and criminalized the act, has failed to summon the political will to implement the law, but rather is happy to collect fines from oil firms and allow gas flaring to go unhindered and the community dwellers to bear the brunt.
3. Miserable Living:
The people of Niger Delta may have lost whatever it means to have and live a better life. The level of pollution and environmental degradation has made living in their land a nightmare.
The impact of the oil industry on the environment in the Niger Delta can be viewed in the context of poor quality of livelihoods, health and access to food and clean water of hundreds of thousands of people. The environmental damage that has been done, and continues to be done, as a consequence of oil production in the Niger Delta, has led to serious violations of human rights.
People living in the Niger Delta have to drink, cook with, and wash in polluted water; they eat fish contaminated with oil and other toxins - if they are lucky enough to still be able to find fish; the land they use for farming is being destroyed because of the lack of respect for the ecosystem necessary for their survival; after oil spills the air they breathe reeks of oil and gas and other pollutants; they complain of breathing problems, skin lesions and other health problems, but their concern are not taken seriously and they have almost no information on the impacts of pollution.
4. Protesting A Negligent Government: The federal government has in the past failed to provide sustainable socio-economic and infrastructural development in the Niger Delta area. As a result of this failure, the people of the region have decided to take their fate's into their own hands. This is blamed on the government that has failed in establishing a proper legal and social environment for peaceful conflict resolution which has contributed significantly to the emergence of parties that resort to violence in the Niger Delta.
5. Unemployment of Niger Delta Youths: While there is an increase in unemployment all over the country, it is more particular of Niger Delta youths whose source of livelihood has been snatched from them. The traditional occupation of the people of the south-south has been destroyed; fishing is no longer possible and environmental degradation is in its worst form.
6. Revenues from the region are used for political sponsorship: Since 1999, the region coffers have been used to sponsor political campaigns with willing corrupt governors. Hence most of them moved to a life in Abuja after office. Whereas the revenue-generating communities suffer.
7. Niger Delta Leaders also share the blame: The leaders in the Deltan region also share in the blame of the rot of the oil-rich region. For most of Nigerians, 50 years the central government has all the power and the local leaders have no say what so ever about what happened in the area. In instances where the government and multi-nationals seek to develop the oil rich regions, their leaders sidelined the people and enrich themselves at the expense of the communities. This single idea paved way for major sabotage in government's plans and actions as well as corporations. But the prize is too great for any of revolt to be tolerated. Ken Saro Wiwa, among others died for this cause.
So what do you think?
The Niger Delta is where almost all of Nigeria’s oil comes from, but ironically, it remains one of the poorest in the country. Over the last five decades, Niger Delta has given multinational oil corporations and the Nigerian state infringed exploration access but quite unfortunately, the territory remains alienated from all types of development and all essence of quality human life.
Image: Niger Delta Gas Flares, Sourced at: Wikimedia Commons
In protest, there have been renewed attacks on oil and gas installations in the region. Some agitators are in support of these attacks - that have reduced Nigeria’s daily oil production from about 2.2 million to 1.7 million barrel. Others see it as economic sabotage as well as political sabotage. Some see it as a justified struggle to salvage a dire situation. Some also condemn the violent approach but call for dialogue as the best way towards resolution of issues and conflicts.
Here is why they should not be hated for their actions.
1. Environmental Degradation:
Oil Spills: The Niger Delta has suffered for decades from oil spills, which occur both on land and offshore. Oil spills on land destroy crops and damage the quality and productivity of soil that communities use for farming. Oil in water damages fisheries and contaminates water that people use for drinking and other domestic purposes.
2. Gas Flaring: In the Niger Delta, gas flaring, ocean surge pose a major environmental and health challenge, while population explosion has also led to increased quest for land farming and grazing of animals. Aside health problems that range from respiratory problems to eye irritations, there is destruction of farmlands due to acid rain. There is also much noise, constant heat and radiating light that could lead to sleep deprivation which in turn could degenerate into insomnia. Since flaring involves the output of carbon dioxide and sulphur, the heart and lungs can be affected, leading to lung illnesses and cardiac complications.
According to environmental experts, Nigeria accounts for one sixth of gas flaring in the world, and this is they say is largely responsible for some health issues like cancer and leukemia.
Economic experts have condemned the Nigerian government for being only interested in maximizing the monetary profits from oil production to the detriment of the people living in the area where the oil is produced and gas is flared. Oil companies, it is believed, find it more economically more convenient to flare the natural gas and pay the inconsequential fine than to re-inject the gas back into the oil wells or convert it to electricity for the people in the area. Various legislative measures to curb gas flaring in Nigeria have been in place since 1969.
The communities have expressed displeasure over the manner in which the firms flare gas and abandon the people to their fate. They are also displeased with the manner in which the federal government and the Department of Petroleum Resources collect fines from oil firms involved in gas flaring. They have argued that the federal government, which enacted the law against gas flaring and criminalized the act, has failed to summon the political will to implement the law, but rather is happy to collect fines from oil firms and allow gas flaring to go unhindered and the community dwellers to bear the brunt.
3. Miserable Living:
The people of Niger Delta may have lost whatever it means to have and live a better life. The level of pollution and environmental degradation has made living in their land a nightmare.
The impact of the oil industry on the environment in the Niger Delta can be viewed in the context of poor quality of livelihoods, health and access to food and clean water of hundreds of thousands of people. The environmental damage that has been done, and continues to be done, as a consequence of oil production in the Niger Delta, has led to serious violations of human rights.
People living in the Niger Delta have to drink, cook with, and wash in polluted water; they eat fish contaminated with oil and other toxins - if they are lucky enough to still be able to find fish; the land they use for farming is being destroyed because of the lack of respect for the ecosystem necessary for their survival; after oil spills the air they breathe reeks of oil and gas and other pollutants; they complain of breathing problems, skin lesions and other health problems, but their concern are not taken seriously and they have almost no information on the impacts of pollution.
4. Protesting A Negligent Government: The federal government has in the past failed to provide sustainable socio-economic and infrastructural development in the Niger Delta area. As a result of this failure, the people of the region have decided to take their fate's into their own hands. This is blamed on the government that has failed in establishing a proper legal and social environment for peaceful conflict resolution which has contributed significantly to the emergence of parties that resort to violence in the Niger Delta.
5. Unemployment of Niger Delta Youths: While there is an increase in unemployment all over the country, it is more particular of Niger Delta youths whose source of livelihood has been snatched from them. The traditional occupation of the people of the south-south has been destroyed; fishing is no longer possible and environmental degradation is in its worst form.
6. Revenues from the region are used for political sponsorship: Since 1999, the region coffers have been used to sponsor political campaigns with willing corrupt governors. Hence most of them moved to a life in Abuja after office. Whereas the revenue-generating communities suffer.
7. Niger Delta Leaders also share the blame: The leaders in the Deltan region also share in the blame of the rot of the oil-rich region. For most of Nigerians, 50 years the central government has all the power and the local leaders have no say what so ever about what happened in the area. In instances where the government and multi-nationals seek to develop the oil rich regions, their leaders sidelined the people and enrich themselves at the expense of the communities. This single idea paved way for major sabotage in government's plans and actions as well as corporations. But the prize is too great for any of revolt to be tolerated. Ken Saro Wiwa, among others died for this cause.
So what do you think?
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