scholarly journals Understanding Niger Delta’s violence from a World-Ecology perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-43
Author(s):  
Oscar Mateos
Keyword(s):  
Niger Delta ◽  
Capital Accumulation ◽  
Resource Curse ◽  
Delta Region ◽  
Resistance Movements ◽  
Niger Delta Region ◽  
Oil Corporations ◽  
The Face ◽  
The Commons ◽  
The 1960S

The conflict in the Niger Delta region (Nigeria) has become one of the most environmentally and humanly devastating contexts on the African continent since the 1960s. The network of different actors involved in this context forms a complex web in which multiple and asymmetrical dynamics and interactions can be identified. From Jason Moore’s World-Ecology perspective (2015), the article suggests that this complex interaction should not be understood as a mere postcolonial episode in the context of globalisation, but as a historical network of relations. This network, in which human and extra-human natures are intertwined, is key to understanding the process of capital accumulation in the region and the resulting capitalogenic violence since the 16th century. Against this background, the article also attempts to counter the tendency to interpret violence and social resistance in the Niger Delta region as mere criminal phenomena or from narratives such as the “resource curse” that has simplified the multidimensionality of violence. In this sense, the paper analyses the different forms, strategies and meanings through which local resistance movements have tried to safeguard and re-appropriate their livelihoods and the commons in recent decades in the face of the growing presence of multinational oil corporations.

scholarly journals Mirroring the Conflict Situation of the Oil-rich Niger Delta Region of Nigeria on the Screen: A Thematic Analysis of the Film - Black November

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 123-146
Author(s):  
Joseph M. Lucas ◽  
Fatima D. Vakkai ◽  
Tordue Simon Targema
Keyword(s):  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Niger Delta ◽  
Resource Curse ◽  
Delta Region ◽  
Oil Companies ◽  
Niger Delta Region ◽  
The People ◽  
The Rich ◽  
The Government ◽  
The 1960S

This study examines the potentials of film in managing conflict in the oil rich Niger Delta region of Nigeria. This is against the backdrop that since the commencement of oil production in the region in the 1960s to date, it has continued to experience one form of armed conflict or the other. These manifest in several ways such as kidnapping of foreign oil workers, vandalization of oil facilities and confrontation with security operatives by militants, leaving adverse effects on the Nigerian economy which depends on crude oil as the major source of income. The paradox of plenty or resource curse that has come to characterize the region and how it can be addressed, therefore, is what prompts the current study. Using the Nollywood film- Black November, the study demonstrates that film is an instrument that can be used effectively to manage conflicts in the region. From the viewpoint of Singhal and Rogers’ Entertainment-Education approach, the study adopts thematic analysis to identify and discuss the various themes embedded in the film. Findings indicate that several forces are behind the intractable conflict in the region as contained in the film, such as exploitation of resident communities by multinational oil companies, environmental degradation occasioned by oil spillage and gas flaring, and gross injustice, insincerity and human rights abuse by security operatives that make the people lose faith and confidence in both them and the government which they represent. Other causes include betrayal and corruption on the part of community leaders and the burning fire of patriotism in the youth who are determined to fight for their rights. Given the rich thematic embodiment of the film, the study concludes that film has potentials which, if effectively harnessed, will go a long way in managing conflicts in the society.

scholarly journals Weeping in the Face of Fortune: Eco-Alienation in the Niger-Delta Ecopoetics

Humanities ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abba A. Abba ◽  
Nkiru D. Onyemachi
Keyword(s):  
Niger Delta ◽  
18Th Century ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Delta Region ◽  
Niger Delta Region ◽  
Cultural Implications ◽  
The Face ◽  
Oil Wealth ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Universe

Scholarship on Niger Delta ecopoetry has concentrated on the economic, socio-political and cultural implications of eco-degradation in the oil-rich Niger Delta region of the South-South in Nigeria, but falls short of addressing the trope of eco-alienation, the sense of separation between people and nature, which seems to be a significant idea in Niger Delta ecopoetics. For sure, literary studies in particular and the Humanities at large have shown considerable interest in the concept of the Anthropocene and the resultant eco-alienation which has dominated contemporary global ecopoetics since the 18th century. In the age of the Anthropocene, human beings deploy their exceptional capabilities to alter nature and its essence, including the ecosystem, which invariably leads to eco-alienation, a sense of breach in the relationship between people and nature. For the Humanities, if this Anthropocentric positioning of humans has brought socio-economic advancement to humans, it has equally eroded human values. This paper thus attempts to show that the anthropocentric positioning of humans at the center of the universe, with its resultant hyper-capitalist greed, is the premise in the discussion of eco-alienation in Tanure Ojaide’s Delta Blues and Home Songs (1998) and Nnimmo Bassey’s We Thought It Was Oil but It Was Blood (2002). Arguing that both poetry collections articulate the feeling of disconnect between the inhabitants of the Niger Delta region and the oil wealth in their community, the paper strives to demonstrate that the Niger Delta indigenes, as a result, have been compelled to perceive the oil environment no longer as a source of improved life but as a metaphor for death. Relying on ecocritical discursive strategies, and seeking to further foreground the implication of the Anthropocene in the conception of eco-alienation, the paper demonstrates how poetry, as a humanistic discipline, lives up to its promise as a powerful medium for interrogating the trope of eco-estrangement both in contemporary Niger Delta ecopoetry and in global eco-discourse.

scholarly journals Despoliated Ecosystem and the Exploited Woman: Victims or Volunteers? A Reading of Kaine Agary’s Yellow-Yellow

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 22
Author(s):  
Uchenna Ohagwam
Keyword(s):  
Natural Resources ◽  
Environmental Degradation ◽  
Niger Delta ◽  
Delta Region ◽  
Economic Independence ◽  
Speaking Up ◽  
Niger Delta Region ◽  
Oil Corporations ◽  
The World ◽  
The Web

The horrendous situation in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria is gradually producing a rich and enduring literature, which paints a vivid picture of the trauma of living in that part of the world. Playwrights, poets, dramatists and literary critics have all lent their contributions in a determined effort at speaking up against the enormity of the environmental degradation in the region; a tragedy brought about by the insensitive exploitation of the region’s natural resources by multinational oil corporations. This study seeks to examine Kaine Agary’s perspective towards the problem as captured in her fictional work, Yellow-Yellow, with focus on the heavy toll it takes on the woman. The dilemma of being caught in the web of either a victim or a volunteer, compels the woman to either dependency or independence. Thus, the paper concludes by making a case for economic independence and argues that it is the surest security for women, especially, the Niger Delta woman.

scholarly journals Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Concerns in Nigeria: A Critical Focus on Oil Producing Communities

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kabiru Isa Dandago ◽  
Love Obiani Arugu
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Niger Delta ◽  
Delta Region ◽  
Niger Delta Region ◽  
Oil Corporations ◽  
Socio Economic Development ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
Social Amenities

A well-known fact about the Nigerian Niger Delta region is incessant conflicts between the Oil Transnational Corporations and the oil producing communities. This could be attributed to the fact that the activities of Oil TNCs have continued to unleash untold devastation on the environment of the oil producing communities and its consequences on the local economy and by extension the total obliteration of the livelihood of the inhabitants of the area. Therefore, the Oil TNCs are increasingly becoming conscious of their devastating impact on the ecology of the area and their blatant disregard for the socio-economic development of the host communities. Consequently, the Oil TNCs have come to embrace the idea of executing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects as a vehicle to intervene meaningfully in order to mitigate the adverse effects of their operations on the environments of the host communities. This paper attempts to review and analyze CSR practices of the two major Oil TNCs in Bayelsa State: Shell and Agip in six host communities: Olugboboro, Olugbobiri, Ikebiri 1, Oporoma, Angiama, and Peremabiri in Southern Ijaw local government area. The key question explored in this study is: has the practice of CSR in the Nigerian Niger Delta region by Oil TNCs brought about socio-economic  development and drastic reduction in conflict between the host communities and the Oil TNCs? The paper argues that CSR projects of transnational oil corporations in Nigeria are driven by short-term expediency rather than the long term environmental developmental needs of host communities through the provision of poor quality social amenities to these communities in order to secure social license to operate. For transnational oil corporations to make positive impact in the Nigerian Niger Delta Region, their CSR projects should belong tern in nature, taking into consideration the sustainable development needs of the local communities. The CSR projects should be in the form of high quality social amenities and environmental rehabilitation and protection, which could serve the needs of the present and future generations.

Theatre and Leadership Crises

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Hussaini Umaru Tsaku
Keyword(s):  
Interest Groups ◽  
Environmental Degradation ◽  
Niger Delta ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Delta Region ◽  
Economic Problems ◽  
Niger Delta Region ◽  
Long Time ◽  
The Face

One major crisis that has hit this country in the face for a long time is the Niger Delta crisis. The environmental degradation in the Niger Delta, poverty, unemployment, among others have become recurrent decimals and issues of serious concern to scholars, organizations, interest groups, and spirited individuals over the years. These issues have led to the emergence of violent crises with their attendant consequences on human life and the environment. Hence, the chapter focuses on the Niger Delta crises. It tries to analyze the socio-political and economic problems that have characterized the region over the years. It discusses the challenges and paradoxes of leadership in Nigeria's democratic space and how they have contributed negatively in fueling the crisis in the Niger Delta region of the country.

Nigeria's National Content Bill: The Hype, the Hope and the Reality

2011 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 128-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Nna Emeka Nwaokoro
Keyword(s):  
Niger Delta ◽  
International Agreements ◽  
Bilateral Investment Treaties ◽  
Delta Region ◽  
Ongoing Debate ◽  
High Unemployment ◽  
Local Content ◽  
Niger Delta Region ◽  
The Face ◽  
Investment Treaties

AbstractNigeria's recent efforts to pass local content legislation with stringent targets and stiff penalties have drawn widespread attention, spurred ongoing debate and prompted numerous international workshops and seminars. Lack of local content has been blamed for high unemployment and lack of capacity, and even been linked to militancy in the Niger Delta region. After much debate and delay, the bill has become law. This article reviews the bill's history and tracks the hype surrounding Nigeria's moves towards a legislative mandate. It discusses the provisions of the bill, observing that it is poorly drafted, vague and therefore difficult to comply with. The bill could also violate international agreements, such as bilateral investment treaties and GATT, and is unnecessary in the face of contractual alternatives that could be successfully utilized to enhance local content. Contract models contain ample provisions for enabling local content and have been successfully employed by other resource-rich nations.

When the blessing resource ‘oil’ curses

2022 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 0-0
Keyword(s):  
Niger Delta ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Oil Industry ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Delta Region ◽  
Environmental Rights ◽  
Niger Delta Region ◽  
Oil Corporations ◽  
History Of

Oil industry has impacted both economy and ecology of oil-producing states in the Niger Delta region in Nigeria. The environmental detriments caused by gas flaring and oil spills develop violent ethnic agitations, through long lasting history area of conflicts, for economic, social, political, and environmental rights. This paper examines the history of oil and gas exploitation, in Niger Delta region, and its role to cause environmental degradations in the region. The study argued that multinational oil corporations’ activities were the first intriguing violence in local communities based on environmental approach. Also, the paper indicates that the conflict had many drivers related to different components of indigenous people. The tendency of violence escalated over time, in strength of acts from demonstrations and grievances to militant operations, and demands from self determination to justice, revenues equity and environmental rights, in order to reshape oil-bearing communities’ old motivations about self-governance.

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