ABSTRACT
The Niger Delta region constitutes a number of ethnic
nationalities which are rich in natural resources mainly in oil and gas
reserves. However, the region has suffered extreme marginalization and neglect
over the years despite its major contribution to the nations economy leading to
agitations for better living standards by the people. The agitations have
transformed from peaceful talks and dialogue to violence, unrest and chaos
resulting to huge losses to the region and affecting the development process of
the nation at large. This study examined the effect of the Niger Delta crisis on Evwreni and Otu-jeremi communities in Delta
State. Data was collected through the administration of questionnaires, conduct
of interviews and consultation of books and relevant documents. The data
analysed revealed that the Niger Delta crisis has affected job creation,
infrastructure provision and maintenance as well as increased criminal
activities in the areas. Finally, the researcher recommended diversification of
the economy, job creation and training programmes, strenghtening of security
measures, provision of basic amenities amongst others as a solution to the
crisis in the region.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background to the Study
The Niger Delta region is widely known for its rich
oil and gas reserves which contribute enormously to the economic prosperity of
the Nigerian nation. The region has some unique characteristics which tend to
make development difficult. It covers an area of about 70,000 square kilometres
and is noted for its peculiar and difficult terrain. The whole area is
transverse and crisscrossed by a large number of streams, swamps, canals and
creeks. These peculiarities attracted the attention of even the colonial masters.
Consequently, the British colonial government set up the Sir Henry Willinkk’s
Commission to recommend the best strategies for the development of the region,
which has the most difficult terrain in the country. When the Commission turned
in its report in 1958, it specifically recommended that the Niger Delta region
deserves special developmental attention and should therefore be made a special
area to be developed directly by the Federal Government. It is pertinent to
state that this was before the discovery of crude oil which is abundant in the
region and later became the mainstay of the Nigerian economy. Prior to the
discovery of crude oil, people thrived on their traditional vocations of
farming and fishing for which they depended on land, watershed and natural
resources which were highly productive. However, since the commencement of oil
exploration activities, the people have suffered gross neglect and deprivation
over the years despite its contribution to the nation’s revenue base. The
people in the region believe that the oil producing communities do not benefit
as much as many other non-producing areas. According to Ikporukpo (2003), the
type of federation operated in Nigeria is such that Government owns all oil
resources and land. The revenue from oil is shared among all the 36 states of
the federation and local government areas with very little consideration for
those areas the oil is exploited.
Governments renewed commitment to addressing the age
long neglect and above concerns of the Niger Delta region led to the
establishment of the Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission
(OMPADEC) in 1993 and later the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in
2000 with specific mandate on infrastructural development. This is outside the
interventions put in place from independence. However, the people were not
satisfied with the pace and quality of developmental projects and decided to
form groups for peaceful protests. Gradually, the rather peaceful political
struggle for resource control degenerated into violent agitations by the
various militant insurgent groups that emerged to take over the struggle.
The World Health Organisation in articulating the
effects of violence in its report of 2002, stated that the main victims of
crisis are youths, adolescents and young adults. Developmental goals of nations
can hardly be achieved in hostile and volatile environments. Due to the
lingering crisis in the region, thousands of workers have lost their jobs with
the oil companies because of decreased production and harsh operating
environment. Blowing up of pipelines has worsened the problem of spillages,
environmental pollution, degradation and further depletion of farmlands.
Developmental processes have been stalled due to the unfriendly investment
environment which scares away potential investors and infrastructural
improvement. The crisis has led to increased poverty, crime rate and insecurity
as well as sharp drop in production of oil and the nation’s revenue base.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
The 2006 UNDP report states that in reality the Niger
Delta region is suffering from administrative neglect, crumbling social
infrastructure and services, high unemployment rate, social deprivation, abject
poverty, filth, squalor and endemic conflict. The World Bank report (1995)
concluded that despite the vast oil resources available, the region has
remained poor. GNP per capita is below the national average of US$280 and
educational levels are below the national average and particularly low for
women. While 70% of Nigerian children attend primary school, this level drops
to 30-40% in some parts of the Niger Delta.
On the basis of available evidence, the crisis in the
Niger Delta arises from the injustice in the relations formed around oil
extraction activities and injustice in the appropriation of the huge oil
revenues from the area. It is thus a crisis of underdevelopment and the people
in the region have been involved in demonstrations, petition writing, armed
struggle, shutting of oil production activities, agitation for true federalism
and resource control as well as compensation for ecological damage. However,
this process is compounded by the entrance of kidnappers, criminals, syndicates
and gangs who claim to be pursuing the interests of the people but their mode
of operations does not give credence to this assertion.
The crisis has had major implications for development
and socio-cultural relations in the Niger Delta in particular and in the nation
as a whole as it is a known fact that development and crisis cannot go hand in
hand. The crisis has fractured relations between the communities and the oil
companies on one hand and the communities and the Nigerian state on the other.
The outbreak of hostilities has taken its toll on the nation’s development.
Since hostilities began, very few new investments have come into the area as no
investor would want to invest in an environment that is so patently insecure
such as the Niger Delta region. The crisis has had a negative effect on jobs
and job creation in the Niger Delta as Oil companies withdraw from areas of
operation and shut down production activities. This drift of investors has
aggravated the unemployment problem which in turn has compounded the security
problem of the Communities. The unemployed youths roam about the streets and
involve themselves in criminal activities such as kidnapping, murder,
vandalisation of pipelines and armed robbery. The safety of oil workers and
members of their families have also been negatively affected. The crisis has resulted
in huge revenue losses for the country and has created an atmosphere of
uncertainty. An obvious consequence of the crisis is the further deterioration
of infrastructure supply situation in communities. The fact that conflicts
often result in the destruction of these facilities not only discourages their
provision but also impacts on the available stock. In effect, the Nigerian state, the oil
companies and communities in the Niger Delta have all been affected by the
crisis as developmental efforts have been thwarted. The Niger Delta crisis is
not only a national problem but also a global problem deserving serious
attention. Any disturbances in the flow of oil in Nigeria will impact
negatively on the world economy. This calls for peace in the Niger Delta as
national development is impossible when there is no peace.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
(a) To determine the effect of
the Niger Delta crisis on employment opportunities for youths in Evwreni and
Otu-jeremi Communities.
(b) To ascertain the extent to
which the Niger Delta crisis has affected infrastructure supply in Evwreni and
Otu-jeremi Communities.
(c) To determine the
contribution of the Niger Delta crisis on criminal activities in Evwreni and
Otu-jeremi Communities.
(d) To provide adequate
recommendations for a lasting solution to the Niger Delta crisis.
1.4 Hypotheses
(a)
H0: The Niger Delta Crisis has not led to increased youth
unemployment in Evwreni and Otu-jeremi
Communities.
H1: The Niger Delta crisis has led to increased youth
unemployment in Evwreni and Otujeremi Communities.
(b)
H0: The Niger Delta Crisis has not impeded infrastructure
provision and maintenance in Evwreni and Otu-jeremi Communities.
H1: The Niger Delta crisis impedes infrastructure
provision and maintenance Evwreni and Otu-jeremi Communities.
(c)
H0: The Niger Delta Crisis has not led to increased criminal
activities in Evwreni and Otu-jeremi Communities.
H1: The Niger Delta crisis has led to increased
criminal activities in Evwreni and Otujeremi Communities.
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Item Type: Project Material | Size: 63 pages | Chapters: 1-5
Format: MS Word | Delivery: Within 30Mins.
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