Environmental issues in the Niger Delta
Home to 20 million people and 40 different ethnic groups, this floodplain makes up 7.5% of Nigeria's total land mass,[4] and is Africa's largest wetland.
In addition to supporting abundant flora and fauna, arable terrain that can sustain a wide variety of crops, lumber or agricultural trees, and more species of freshwater fish than any ecosystem in West Africa.
Bronwen Manby, then researcher in the Africa Division of Human Rights Watch, documented in July 1997 that "according to the official estimates of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)... approximately 2,300 cubic meters (610,000 U.S. gal) of oil are spilled in 300 separate incidents annually.
SPDC [Shell Petroleum and Development Company] would not build them that way today.”[27] Sabotage is performed primarily through what is known as "bunkering", whereby the saboteur attempts to tap the pipeline.
[28] Sabotage and theft through oil siphoning has become a major issue in the Niger River Delta states as well, contributing to further environmental degradation.
[34] Immense tracts of the mangrove forests, which are especially susceptible to oil (mainly because it is stored in the soil and re-released annually during inundations), have been destroyed.
[37] The Niger River has been invaded by water hyacinth, which thrives in polluted environments but clogs waterways and competes with native plants.
[40][41] In January 2015, Shell agreed to pay $80 million to the Ogoniland community of Bodo for two oil spills in 2008 after a court case in London.
[45] The report found severe soil ground and tapwater contamination, destruction of mangroves, and "that institutional control measures in place both in the oil industry and the Government were not implemented adequately.
Human impact from poor land management upstream coupled with the constant pollution of petroleum has caused 5–10% of these mangrove forests to disappear.
The effects of petroleum spills on mangroves are known to acidify the soils, halt cellular respiration, and starve roots of vital oxygen.
As the soils supporting R. racemosa become too toxic, a non-native invasive species of palm, Nypa fruticans, quickly colonises the area.
They also are important to a variety of species vital to subsistence practices for local indigenous groups, who unfortunately see little to none of the economic benefits of petroleum.
[55] This clash among governing bodies, oil corporations, and the people of Nigeria has resulted in sabotage to petroleum pipelines, further exacerbating the threat to mangrove forests.
The federal government of Nigeria established the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in 2000 which aims to suppress the environmental and ecological impacts petroleum has had in the region.
The river provides water for drinking, bathing, cleaning, and fishing for both the dinner table and trading to make a profit.
As the people have settled along the shores of the rivers and coasts, marine and terrestrial habitats are being lost and ecosystems are being drastically changed.
[56] The Niger River is an important ecosystem that needs to be protected, for it is home to 36 families and nearly 250 species of fish, of which 20 are endemic, meaning they are found nowhere else on Earth.
Benzene, known to be emitted from gas flares in undocumented quantities, is well recognised as a cause for leukaemia and other blood-related diseases.
A study done by Climate Justice estimates that exposure to benzene would result in eight new cases of cancer yearly in Bayelsa State alone.
[62] Gas flares are often close to communities and regularly lack fencing or protection for villagers who risk working near their heat.
Many communities claim that nearby flares cause acid rain which corrodes their homes and other structures, many of which have zinc-based roofing.
Other studies from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) report that gas flaring is "a major contributor to air pollution and acid rain.
"[66] Older flares are rarely relocated away from villages and are known to coat the land and communities with soot and to damage adjacent vegetation.
[21] In November 2005 a judgement by the Federal High Court of Nigeria ordered that gas flaring must stop in a Niger Delta community as it violates guaranteed constitutional rights to life and dignity.
A study conducted in Ogbogu located in one of the largest oil producing regions of Nigeria has utilised two plant species to clean up spills.
The people of Ogbogu hope to use these methods of bioremediation to improve the quality of drinking water, soil conditions, and the health of their surrounding environment.
[69] Many of the Niger Delta's inhabitants, including minority ethnic groups, particularly the Ogoni and the Ijaw people, feel they are being exploited and their ability to earn a living on their land is being undermined.
MOSOP is an umbrella organisation of eleven member groups that together represent over 700,000 indigenous Ogoni in a non-violent campaign for social, economic and environmental justice in the Niger Delta.
[75] Several communities and states within the Niger Delta region of Nigeria has experienced flooding which has affected economic activities.
