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Related to country: Nigeria

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The Niger-Delta Region of Nigeria



The Niger-Delta region of Nigeria accounts for one the world’s largest deposits of oil and gas and over 80% of Nigeria’s income, the region which is home to over 3000 different tribes and nationalities have played host to activities of multinational Oil and Gas firms with its attendant environmental consequences since the discovery of commercial quantities of oil and gas in 1956.

However, the historical failure of all stakeholders, predominantly the Nigerian state, to protect the rights and wellbeing of inhabitants of the region has led to great depletion and destruction of the environment through pollution in form of Oil spillage, Gas Flaring etc. This situation has created serious resentment and frustrations at all levels of the society.

The frustrating part of the situation is the long Connivance of the Nigerian State with these Multi National Oil and Gas Corporations to perpetually exploit the people. Nigeria remains the Highest Gas flarer in the world and has contributed more greenhouse gases than all other sub-Saharan sources combined. The practice of gas faring in the Niger-Delta remains widespread, violating the rights of local population and right to health and healthy environment. Flames and Fumes are produced 24hours a day, seven days a week, year after year, affecting health, polluting the local environment and destroying livelihoods. Nowhere else in the world are communities subjected to it on such large scale.

Furthermore in the region, 17 billion m3 of associated natural gas is estimated to be flared annually, generating an estimated 2,700 tons of particulates, 160 tons of sulphur oxides, 5,400 tons of carbon monoxide, 12 million tons of methane and 3.5 million tons of carbon dioxide. Due to poor regulatory framework, Nigeria Flares 75 percent of the gas it produces and accounts for about 19 per cent of the total amount flared globally. (See Africa-Up in smoke?, The second report from the Working Group on Climate Change and Development, pages 20 & 21).

This scenario has led to the rise of resistant, militant and criminal Groups in the name of the Niger-Delta emancipation. The year 2006, witnessed an increase in the boldness and intensity of militia groups to inflict damage to the oil industry and the state. The arrest of a Notorious Gang leader in 2005 was followed by the rise of a new militia, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger-Delta (MEND).

Since January 2006, the wave of violence has resulted in several kidnappings and numerous battles between the state security services and militia groups, increasing the pervasive sense in society that the conflict will steadily increase.

The response by the Nigerian state to this mounting conflict to date has been to buy off the leaders of violence gangs at a local and regional level. This approach has failed, and will continue to fail because for every individual that is bought off there are 20 others ready to take his place and commit a greater level of violence in order to justify their own pay off.

It thus becomes very pertinent that increased pressure is mounted on the Oil Companies and Government to change their policies and treatment of the Niger-Delta region.





Yours in GREEN

Cosmas Ba-Ana-Itenebe
cordinator Federation of Young African Greens
member Global Young Green
Nigeria



June 17, 2008 | 4:39 AM Comments  0 comments

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