Eco Justice
Oil pollution in the Niger Delta of Nigeria
Environmental challenges for the oil-rich Niger Delta as a result of activities of oil and gas industry as well as marginalization of the region by both the multinational oil companies and the government of Nigeria have remained a contentious issue in Nigeria and one of the world’s classic examples of “resource curse” (Amnesty International, 2013). Despite being one of the ten most significant wetland and coastal marine ecosystems in the world, the Niger Delta is home to more than 30 million people most of whom live in abject poverty without access to clean water and health care due to the activities of the oil that have caused significant damage to the soil, water and air quality. The poverty-stricken oil communities in the Delta are no much to the might wielded by the large oil companies and the government, which both draft and implement policies that have far reaching effects on their general welfare and environment. Oil pollution is a major concern for the people of the Niger Delta due to the fact that environmental quality and sustainability are crucial to their very wellbeing, development and future as more than 60 percent of them rely on natural environment for their livelihood. Over the last 50 years, an approximate 1.5 million tons of oil is estimated to have spilled in the Niger Delta ecosystem.
The Royal Dutch Shell, plc (Shell), as the largest foreign investor in Nigeria state whose joint venture accounts for 40 percent of all Nigerian oil production, has a long reputation of colluding with the Nigerian government in quelling popular opposition against its presence in the Niger Delta region. As foreign company making significant profits from oil operations in the Niger Delta, Shell has a legal and moral responsibility to uphold high working standards. The oil giant has an obligation to install state-of-the-art seismic systems in the oil fields able to promptly detect leakages and illegal siphoning (Amnesty International, 2013). The company also has a duty to adequately equip its pipeline guards as opposed to its practice of simply seeking local guards who may be easily comprised into allowing siphoning resulting into oil spills. Where spillages have occurred, Shell has the moral responsibility of being truthful to its investors, customers, the media and the general public about the cause of oil spills themselves, the volume of the oil spilt, and the extent and adequacy of the company’s clean up measures (Center for constitutional rights, 2014). Shell must also sufficient compensation to the affected local people.
Going forth, all stakeholders (including the oil companies, the Nigerian state, human rights and environmental activists, other countries, world bodies, and the local communities) need to work towards restoring the integrity of the Niger Delta ecosystem and stop any further degradation. There should ecological or environmental justice to the Delta through formulation, implementation, as well as enforcement of policies guiding the exploration and exploitation of oil in the region (Nwaomah, 2013). Given that the Niger Delta environmental problem is a true reflection of both systemic problems and individual choices, the answer lies in re-envisioning and invigorating moral and legal responsibilities of all the players (Nwaomah, 2013). This would substantially impact of the overall process of exploration, exploitation, and utilization of natural resources and the benefits that accrue from it.
References:
Nwaomah, M.S. (2013). Eco-Justice and the Niger Delta Environmental Challenges:
Reflections on Matt. 7.12. Journal of Philosophy Study Vol. 3, No. 4, 291-299.
Amnesty International. (2013). Shell’s false claims on Niger Delta oil spills exposed. Retrieved from: http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/shell-s-false-claims-niger-delta-oil-spills-exposed-2013-11-07
Center for constitutional rights. (2014). Factsheet: Shell’s Environmental Devastation in Nigeria. Retrieved from: http://ccrjustice.org/learn-more/faqs/shell%2526%2523039%3Bs-environmental-devastation-nigeria
