scholarly journals Oil, environment, and insecurity: a case study of oil production-related environmental insecurity in Nigeria's Niger Delta region

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jude Nonso Udengwu
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 465-483
Author(s):  
Ndidiamaka Chijioke ◽  
Susan Audu-Bako ◽  
Ikechukwu Uwakwe

The discovery of crude oil in Oloibiri-a town in the present Bayelsa state, Niger-Delta region of Nigeria) in 1956 and the subsequent exploration activities have over the years impacted tremendously not only on the ecosystem and livelihood pattern of the Niger Delta but on the pattern of conflicts that has trended.. While resources accruable to Nigeria from sale of crude oil are shared by all, the impacts of oil spill an offshoot of crude oil exploration activities are borne solely by the Niger Delta region. Oil spill appears to have found a permanent abode in Bayelsa state; from Southern Ijaw to Sagbama local governments, Olodiama to Azuzuama communities. Local communities are faced with the problem of continuous oil spill. This in turn has brought about conflicts between oil bearing communities and oil companies. These conflicts in some instances led to shut down of operations of oil companies, vandalism, and reduction of Nigeria’s crude export. In view of the illustrated background, this study examined the strategies for management of oil spill related conflicts in Bayelsa state regarding that oil spill is a key impact of crude oil exploration activity. Findings revealed that the strategies deployed in the management of oil spill in the state can be categorised into three: community strategies, regulators and non-governmental organisations strategies.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gustavo Calderucio Duque Estrada ◽  
Jason Sali ◽  
Patrizio Piras ◽  
Norbert Jallais ◽  
Uchechukwu Amaechi ◽  
...  

Abstract Despite their limited global distribution, mangroves have gained attention as a potential carbon offset option due to their high carbon storage capacity and diverse social and environmental co-benefits. Carbon stock in mangroves (global average=2,790tCO2eq/ha) is about four times higher than in terrestrial forests and contributes to almost 10% (37GtCO2eq) of global terrestrial carbon pool. Mangrove carbon sequestration averages 6.9tCO2eq/ha/yr but may reach more than 20tCO2eq/ha/yr. Literature suggests that over 812,000ha of mangrove areas, spread over 106 countries/territories, show potential for restoration. Furthermore, globally, mangroves have been lost at a rate of 1-2%/yr, which may account for an annual emission of about 0.09-0.45 GtCO2eq/yr that can be potentially avoided through conservation actions. Mangroves within the Niger Delta Region (NDR) cover 800,000ha (6% of world extent), and contain an estimated carbon stock of 2.2GtCO2eq. In 2017, Eni's subsidiary Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) launched a voluntary initiative to restore mangroves to promote social and biodiversity benefits while also contributing to offsetting its GHG emissions. A 30-ha pilot restoration area was identified in Okoroma, Bayelsa, where mangroves had failed to naturally recover from oil spills caused by third party interference in 2014. Site assessments were carried out in 2018 and indicated residual soil contamination (hydrocarbons/metals) and low fertility, a typical characteristic of soils in the NDR. A restoration trial (n=90 seedlings) using nursery-reared seedlings resulted in 100% survivorship and high growth rates, confirming the feasibility of active restoration across the entire site. Although soil contamination was lower than when the spills occurred, we concluded that the combination of residual contamination, low soil fertility and site topography had restricted the natural regeneration process. This in turn risked further soil degradation and ultimately erosion and permanent habitat loss. To prevent this from happening, a long-term restoration program based on the transplantation of fertilized seedlings in partnership with local communities is proposed. In addition to the benefits to the local communities and the environmental restoration, this project is expected to allow for the sequestration of 2,970tCO2eq in 20 years and avoid the emission of an estimated 60,000tCO2eq from soil carbon, numbers that could be scaled up in the future to a much larger area. The results of this case study further confirm the possibility of using mangroves as a Natural Climate Solution to offset GHG emissions from O&G operations.


2009 ◽  
Vol 62-64 ◽  
pp. 432-438
Author(s):  
Henry A.P. Audu ◽  
J.O. Ehiorobo

One of the major ecological and environmental problems confronting the Niger Delta region of Nigeria today is degradation and hazard arising from oil spill. Spillage occurs in this region either from vandalisation or sabotage by ethnic militants, youths who are jobless and therefore deliberately break open crude oil transport pipelines to scoop fuel for sale in the black market to earn a living or rupture of pipes due to ageing and mechanical malfunction. In most spillages, farmlands are lost, aquatic and wildlife is affected, and people are in many cases displaced from their homes. In extreme cases as occurred in Jesse, lives were lost. This paper examines the use of Geoinformation technology in oil spill response modelling and management. The use Global Positioning System (GPS) derived data for the creation of a management database is discussed. Data generated from the Jesse spill and fire site covering these areas were used to generate case study scenario for oil spill response modelling and clean up management operation.


Author(s):  
Umaru Tsaku Samuel ◽  
Moses E. U. Tedheke

This study attempts an investigation into oil politics and other related issues that have generated security crisis in the Niger Delta region, which made peace to elude the people over the years. For decades, peace in the Niger Delta remains a mirage because of the violence and counter violence unleashed by the different stakeholders in oil production in the Niger Delta. While the militants in the Niger Delta resorted to kidnapping of expatriates, oil theft, and the destruction of oil installations of the international oil companies to register their grievances against the Nigerian state and international oil companies over the debilitating development conditions in oil producing communities, the Nigerian state had militarized the region to maintain law and order in the oil producing areas in order to secure oil installations of the international oil companies which were targeted for destruction by the militants who felt the federal government and oil companies have not done enough to improve the living conditions of the people. To pacify the Niger Delta people and to ensure seamless oil production in the region, the federal government introduced some initiatives and created different Commissions such as the Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission, increased derivation formula in revenue allocation to 13 percent and the establishment of the Niger Delta Development Commission to engender peace and development in the region. In recent times however, the federal government in furtherance of its commitment to resolve the Niger Delta crisis created the Ministry of Niger Delta and equally granted Amnesty for repentant militants with a view to re-integrating them back to the society in the interest of national peace and development. Except for Amnesty Programme which introduced relative peace in the Niger Delta, which itself failed to address the root causes of underdevelopment, all other initiatives have not engendered development and lasting peace in the oil-rich Niger Delta region. These initiatives and Commissions were simply tokenism as they failed to fundamentally, reposition the region on the path of sustainable growth and development. However, in generating data for this research, both primary and secondary data were used for analysis. The primary data were obtained from questionnaires, interviews and focus group discussions carried out in Bayelsa and River states. The study concluded that peace and development is possible in the Niger Delta if conscious and deliberate efforts are made by the government and international oil companies to improve the lots of the people who bear the devastating consequences of oil production in Nigeria. 


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