Oil Pollution in the Niger Delta: The Responsibility of the Nigerian State and Oil Companies

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Oil pollution has been a major environmental concern since commercial scale oil extraction began in the Niger Delta in the 1950s and it will be for as long as oil extraction continues. Since the 1950s because of the increasing demand for crude oil and the existence of large oil reserves, the Niger Delta has experienced what can be called an environmental disaster from oil pollution, which resulted in major consequences for the environment and for the indigenous people who depended on the region for their livelihood. A study on Ogoniland, located in the Rivers State of the Niger Delta, revealed that the soil, groundwater, vegetation, surface water and even the air had been contaminated by petroleum hydrocarbons, devastating aquatic and agricultural communities and causing serious health issues for many residents (Environmental Assessment 2011). Many historians, environmentalists, political theorists, and other parties have discussed and explored this disaster, leading to disagreement about who is to be blamed. Two general positions have emerged as a result: the first position, suggests the Nigerian State made the country ripe for such a disaster and that although multinational oil companies (MNOCs) like Shell might have played some role, the state that is primarily responsible for the environmental disaster in the Niger Delta because it is in control of rules, regulations, policies, and revenue. The second position argues that MNOCs themselves, with Shell being used as an example, are primarily responsible for the environmental disaster in the Niger Delta because they are in direct contact with the oil, equipment, and local people. Ultimately, the examination of popular and secondary research and of both positions outlined above l... ... middle of paper ... ...459-507. JSTOR. Web. 21 Mar. 2014. . Steeves, Jeffrey. "The Turn to Presidentialism." University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon. 16 Mar. 2014. Lecture. Tonwe, Daniel. A., Godwin Uyi Ojo, and Iro Aghedo. "Greed and Grievance: The Changing Contours of Environmentalism in Nigeria’s Niger Delta Region." Journal of the Historical Society of Nigeria 20 (2011): 45-66. JSTOR. Web. 13 Mar. 2014. . Uwem, Ite E. “Multinationals and Corporate Social Responsibility in Developing Countries: A Case Study of Nigeria.” Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management 11 (2004): 1-11. Wiley InterScience. Web. 25 Feb. 2014. .

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