A Slippery Slope: Cleaning up Nigeria’s Oil Spill

Nigeria is situated on the Western coast of Africa and is a land that is rich in natural resources. Since the discovery of oil in the Niger Delta region in 1958, the communities have been worried about the environmental impacts of oil spills due to extraction. One of the biggest extractors of crude oil in this area is Shell. Shell extracts the crude oil in order to create energy. Shell has been extracting oil from the Niger Delta region and has over time acquired access to more areas of land. This has led to the degradation of the local farmlands, the water systems and the air itself. Despite being a region rich in oil, the residents of this land live in an increasingly high state of poverty. These communities face pollution from oil spills, oil wells and gas flares. This in turn led to the contamination of the crops, nearby mangrove forests and local fisheries. Of the thousands of oil spills that have taken place since 1958, the communities that live in this region have reported an increased impact on their livelihoods and health. The average life expectancy in the Niger Delta region is 41 years old which is 10 years lower compared to other regions. 

The National Oil and Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) was established in 2006. The work that NOSDRA does is to ensure the implementation of the National Oil Spill Contingency Plan (NOSCP) as well as aiding Nigeria in maintaining an accordance with the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Cooperation (OPRC 90). This convention is a framework that provides a way for international cooperation and aid in the response of accidental oil spills. Included within this framework is a designated national authority, a national contact point and a national contingency plan for as and when an oil spill takes place. Alongside this, NOSDRA works to ensure that related environmental legislations and practices are being upheld. This includes the oil affected areas of Ogoniland and Rivers State. In 2022 there were more than 577 oil spills. This totalled 18,892,903 barrels of oil that has been spilled. 

In order to prevent further harm, the formation of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) was created in 1990. This organisation works both nationally and internationally to protect the surrounding environment of the Ogoni people as well as bolstering the economic, physical and social growth for the region. This includes the right to a peaceful and healthy life. The water that comes from a tap within Ogale is brown with a sheen of oil on the surface, smelling strongly of oil. This organisation was extremely successful. In 1995, the killings of nine Ogoni human rights defenders took place. These killings were by the Nigerian Military and were the result of Ogoni activists protesting that those who were extracting the oil had grown wealthy from the exploitation of their homeland while the People of Ogoni were put into a state of degradation and faced ecological and financial disruptions. In retaliation to these protests, the military responded with brute force. This included torture, rape and murder in order to quell the protests. Shell has denied any involvement in these events.  

Recently, Nigeria has asked Shell to clean up the devastating oil spills within the Niger Delta region. Over 13,500 residents from the communities of Ogale and Billie within the Niger Delta region have filed claims against Shell. Amnesty International, an international organisation that campaigns and researches against such human rights violations stands alongside these two communities in their claim against Shell. In February 2023, more than 14,000 residents in the Niger Delta region took Shell to court in London for being responsible for the damage to the fishing industry and the water source in Niger Delta. The residents are asking them to clean up the pollution. 

The continuous oil spills over the years has affected the fishing industry in Niger Delta. Due to the mix of oil into these waters, fish and other species that live in these waters can become contaminated. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration states how oil can impact marine life and ecosystems. When fish are exposed to oil, they can experience a growth reduction, fin erosion and most importantly a reduction in reproduction. All of these factors have an impact on the way in which this ecosystem works. As a result, any fish that are caught would be unsafe to consume or sell resulting in scarcity. Due to the mess that Shell has made in the region, this is currently a human rights violation. Everyone deserves the right to live in a safe environment and freedom from poverty.

As a result of the impact Shell has had, Niger Delta is one of the poorest regions in the country. There is a distinct gap between the interaction between the government, the oil companies and the local communities. As well as this, there is a lack of monitoring on the activities that Shell and any illegal mining operations undertake. These illegal operations are also responsible for some of the oil spills that take place. As a result, the increase in crime has increased the level of vulnerability of these communities.

In 2021, Shell announced that it planned to sell the onshore oil fields in Niger Delta but has yet to explain how they plan to address the widespread pollution that they have brought to the people of this region. - selling the onshore oil fields is to clean up the remaining oil that is contaminating the area. Shell should be communicating with the Nigerian government and those that live in Niger Delta to ensure that these people are left with a better environment and way of life. This could start through ensuring new legislations and ways in which to safeguard the surrounding area and the livelihoods of its people. 

Image Credits: SixooneEdited by GorStra team

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