environmental degradation of the oil-rich niger
delta region has been wanton and continuous with dire health,
social and economic consequences for its peoples, for over three
decades. Oil exploration and exploitation is very lucrative, and a
major revenue earner in nigeria. But, like most industrial
activities, it produces environmental hazards that are “slow
poisons,” in that they often take months and years to cause
disease and death. This is unlike the contamination of water,
food, and the environment with micro-organisms, which
immediately results in ill health. The covert and slow action of
the hazards created by oil exploration and exploitation make it
difficult to fully appreciate their contribution to the disease
burden in nigeria, especially in the oil-bearing communities, even
with the emergence of non-communicable diseases as major
causes of ill health in nigeria. This paper addresses questions
like: what challenges and impact will ogoniland face concerning
spillage of oil and other wastes on its environment (water,
vegetation, aquatic lifes, people and socio-economic lifes? Which
are the spillage control measures to be adopted in ogoniland to
obtain best production culture and consideration? It discusses the
trend of oil spillage problem and possible antidote to it in the
niger delta part of nigeria.
Deep Issues behind the Crisis in the Niger Delta Region: The Case of Oil Exploration in Ogoniland, Rivers State, Nigeria
