The Dynamics of Corporate and Local Complicities in Environmental Pollution in the Niger Delta Region Of Nigeria - Research

The Niger Delta region of Nigeria has a sad history of environmental pollution from gas flaring, gas blowouts, oil spills and oil well fires. These have made life and livelihood very difficult for the people of the region. The most prominent view on this matter is that oil companies' negligence and un-circumspect oil and gas business are responsible for the problem. However, some current arguments have advanced that some local people have on their own been destroying their own environment. This paper therefore sought to evaluate the degree of complicity of stakeholders in the environmental woes facing the region. Using political ecology as theoretical thrust, the study adopted qualitative techniques namely content analysis and focus group discussion as methods of inquiry. The findings of the study revealed that oil multinationals and government - with its agencies - are the real culprits, and that oil bunkering - discontenting - activities by members of the host communities that result in environmental pollution are infinitesimally inconsequential compared to the damage being done by oil companies and government. What this implies is that the responsibility to salvage the situation overwhelmingly rests on oil multinationals and government. They both need to collaborate with oil producing communities to find a mutually acceptable way of exploiting the region's resources in a way that fully recognises the need to protect the environment and ensure the rights of the people of the region.