Historical background even though the niger delta has about forty ethnic groups with the main ones being urhobo, ogoni, ukwuani and isoko, two major ethnic groups have been identified over the years to be in conflict on issues related directly or indirectly to the global conflict situation in the niger delta. There is an inevitable and serious conflict of interest between delta communities that bear the environmental damage of oil extraction and the rest of the nation for which oil money is essentially. According to the nigerian national petroleum company, nigerias oil production accounts for 8% of the organisation of petroleum exporting. Shell accused of fuelling violence in nigeria by paying. Oil spills and gas flaring are major sources of environmental damage and habitat loss in the niger delta, affecting local populations dependent on agriculture and fishing for their livelihoods. It is typically considered to be located within nine coastal southern nigerian states, which include. Conflict experts describe the situation in the oilrich niger delta as a lowintensity intrastate conflict. Towards ending conflict and insecurity in the niger delta. The niger delta oil conflict requires broad consultation and effective dialogue between communities, oil companies and the nigerian. Like most nations, weve had our civil war, and weve survived it.
Caught in the conflict are nigerian citizens involved in the illegal oil market simply for survival. Mismanagement of the oil and gas industry over decades in the niger delta has caused huge amounts of land, water, and air pollution. The battle raging in nigeria over control of oil vice on. Multinational oil companies on the niger delta, nigeria ejatlas. Competition for oil wealth has fueled violence between ethnic groups, causing the militarization of n. British shipping had been paramount there when the british slave trade had been abolished in 1807, and the merchants of the delta citystates had quickly adapted themselves to offering palm oil as an alternative export to slaves.
Nigeria, after nearly four decades of oil production, had by the early 1980s become almost completely. Oil extraction, dispossession, resistance, and conflict in. Analysis of conflict trends in the niger delta pind foundation. Extraction activities by multinational companies including shell, mobil, chevron, elf and agip have caused serious environmental and social damage in the niger delta, an oil rich southeastern region of nigeria. Oil exploitation and conflict in the nigerdelta region of. Meanwhile, the niger delta oil conflict in nigeria can not be concisely dealt with or handled without briefly discussing the history of nigeria.
The main argument is that oil extraction and the inequitable distribution of its benefits fuel disenchantment and conflict between the niger delta people, and those regarded as the exploiters and beneficiaries of the oil resources in the region. Nigerias niger delta conflict, cameroons bakassi peninsula. The ethnicisation of the oil conflict in the niger delta. Big oil spills are common in the niger delta where over 40 million liters of crude oil is spilled annually, resulting in human deaths and damage to the local ecosystem. The politics of conflict over oil in the niger delta region. The niger delta is an unstable area of nigeria, and interethnic clashes are common often access to oil revenue is the trigger for the violence. For example, osagie, fred and samuel 2010 showed that deprivation of the indigenes of the dividends of oil proceeds was the greatest cause of conflict of the niger delta. How to solve the niger delta problem sahara reporters. The niger delta is a major producer of petroleum for nations such as the united states and because of the regions richness in oil, cases of. Jan 25, 2006 many of the armed groups claim to support impoverished local communities and say the oil belongs to the delta people in the first place. Oil extraction and conflict in the niger delta region. The long period of military rule in nigeria contributed to bad governance and corruption.
Towards ending conflict and insecurity in the niger delta region. Niger delta geographical region, africa britannica. The niger delta, home to some of the biggest oilfields in the world, is heavily polluted from five decades of living with the oil industry. Timelineconflict in nigerias oil delta 4 min read nov 8 reuters gunmen attacked an oil rig off the coast of nigerias niger delta, kidnapping five people including foreigners and injuring.
Analysis of conflict trends in the niger delta pind. Trouble is brewing in nigerias oil country foreign policy. An ethnographic research method that allows for a blend of aspects of qualitative and quantitative investigations was adopted in this study to establish whether both. Drawing on the case of oilrelated conflict in nigerias niger delta region, the article critically examines the causes of one of africas complex oil wars, and. Mitigation abstract the niger delta area of nigeria, coincides approximately to the southsouth geopolitical zone of the country. How to solve the niger delta problem nigeria has been courting danger for the last 3050 years. In spite of these abundant natural resources, the niger delta is marked by poverty, economic underdevelopment, inequality, and environmental degradation. Oil wealth has been instrumental to nigerias emergence as a leading player in world and. The conflict in the niger delta is very well known and continues to nourish a steady stream of scholarly writing and news. Conflict in the niger delta wikimili, the best wikipedia reader. The economy of conflict in the oil rich niger delta region of.
Despite the vast oil wealth of the niger delta, its societies can be described as resourcescarce and the promise of a large amount of money can disrupt social structures within a community and lead to friction or violence. The niger delta peace and conflict landscape has undergone significant changes since 2009 when the federal government commenced a presidential amnesty program for exmilitants in the region. The current conflict in the niger delta first arose in the early 1990s over tensions between foreign oil corporations and a number of the niger delta s minority ethnic groups who feel they are being exploited, particularly the ogoni and the ijaw. Oil and violence in the niger delta isnt talked about much. So, as it stands, the niger delta conflict has more than one dimension.
A critical appraisal of the amnesty programme and social political development in nigeria. Analysis in the niger deltas coastal communities, oil pollution of the marine environment has depleted the fishing and water resources that people have traditionally depended on for their. How oil and water create a complex conflict in the niger delta. Ethnic and political unrest has continued throughout the 1990s despite the conversion to democracy and the election of the obasanjo government in 1999. Oil tankers stolen the niger delta is awash with weapons, prof george frynas, a specialist in nigerias oil industry, told the bbc s world today programme. Jun 14, 2016 trouble is brewing in nigerias oil country for years, the government paid militants in the niger delta not to blow up oil pipelines. Ethnic and political unrest has continued throughout. Aug 19, 2009 the niger delta conflict began in the 1990s in regards to the ongoing conflict between the militia groups of nigeria, the nigerian government, and the foreign oil corporations set up in the niger delta. Before the discovering of the black gold crude oil, agriculture was the dominant occupation of the people in the area. The oil giant is implicated in a decade of human rights abuses in the niger delta, the study says, claiming that its routine payments exacerbated local violence, in one case leading to the deaths. Oct 02, 2011 the oil giant is implicated in a decade of human rights abuses in the niger delta, the study says, claiming that its routine payments exacerbated local violence, in one case leading to the deaths. This has led to a complex pattern of conflicts in the region since the late 1990s.
The first one has links with grievances arising from a set of justified claims against government and oil companies that have, in the pursuit of oil exploration, not given adequate attention to meeting their social. Conflict in the niger delta united states institute of peace. While nigerian officials opt to buy shortterm ceasefires, such as the 2009 amnesty process, other governments spend too little in money and manpower to grow local civil. The niger delta region, the crude oil bearing region of nigeria, has witnessed an unprecedented spate of violent conflicts in the recent past, and all efforts to quell the conflict seem to have failed to yield the desired results. Abstractthe nigerdelta area of nigeria, coincides approximately to the south south geopolitical zone of the country. The conflict in the oil producing region in nigeria, africas largest oil producing country offers a good case for an analysis of the nexus between oil and violent conflict in africa. In april 2006, a bomb exploded near an oil refinery in the niger delta region, a warning against chinese expansion in the region.
Civil society, oil and conflict in the niger delta region. The erosion of these traditional livelihoods reduces the ability for people to recover from economic and environmental shocks, such as flooding. Sep 11, 2010 how to solve the niger delta problem nigeria has been courting danger for the last 3050 years. Communities living in the niger delta are frustrated to suffer the worst impacts of the oil industry and gain little of the potential benefits. Causes of conflicts in the niger delta region of nigeria as. This paper introduces an alternative approach to conflict management in the niger delta region of nigeria. How oil extraction in niger delta affects climate, residents. The niger delta is the delta of the niger river sitting directly on the gulf of guinea on the atlantic ocean in nigeria.
Previous governments largely ignored the niger delta, partly because its geography made it relatively inaccessible. Trouble is brewing in nigerias oil country for years, the government paid militants in the niger delta not to blow up oil pipelines. In the niger delta s coastal communities, oil pollution of the marine environment has depleted the fishing and water resources that people have traditionally depended on for their livelihoods. Feb, 2017 maybe its because the conflict between antioil insurgents and the government has gone on for so long, some 20 years, that theres a bit of niger delta fatigue. Mar 22, 2018 caught in the conflict are nigerian citizens involved in the illegal oil market simply for survival. Reason being that the conflict is a product of the artificial and illconceived creation of the country by the british. Beyond the ogoni conflict, oil extraction and conflict are more intrinsically linked, which shell has recognised 17. We wish to warn the chinese government and its oil companies to steer well clear of the niger delta. Civil society, oil and conflict in the niger delta region of. Oil and violence in the niger delta isnt talked about. For many years, armed gangs of youths, who hide out in the swamps and creeks that make up the delta, have attacked oil pipelines and kidnapped foreign workers for ransom. Multinational oil companies on the niger delta, nigeria. Major new inquiry into oil spills in nigerias niger delta.
Maybe its because the conflict between antioil insurgents and the government has gone on for so long, some 20 years, that theres a bit of niger delta fatigue. The economy of conflict in the oil rich niger delta region. Civil society, oil and conflict in the niger delta region of nigeria. Mar 26, 2019 big oil spills are common in the niger delta where over 40 million liters of crude oil is spilled annually, resulting in human deaths and damage to the local ecosystem. Shell accused of fuelling violence in nigeria by paying rival. Apr 01, 2010 meanwhile, the niger delta oil conflict in nigeria can not be concisely dealt with or handled without briefly discussing the history of nigeria.
Overview of the niger delta economic importance of oil. Strategies for peace in the niger delta united states. The conflict escalated over the next few years, and in november 1995, sarowiwa, and eight other activists were hanged by the nigerian government. Oil exploitation and conflict in the nigerdelta region of nigeria. The niger delta area contains vast reserves of oil and gas, which play an important role in the nigerian economy. How oil and water create a complex conflict in the niger delta the conversation africa in the niger delta s coastal communities, oil pollution of the marine environment has depleted the fishing and water. However, the relative security brought about by the amnesty program has been eroded by the emergence of other conflict issues. Maybe its because the conflict between antioil insurgents and the government has gone on for so long, some 20 years, that theres a bit of niger. Research on humanities and social sciences, 3 22, 7. The current conflict in the niger delta first arose in the early 1990s over tensions between foreign oil corporations and a number of the niger deltas minority ethnic groups who feel they are being exploited, particularly the ogoni and the ijaw. Causes of conflicts in the niger delta region of nigeria. Conflict management in the niger delta region of nigeria accord.
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