AN ASSESSMENT OF NIGER DELTA CRISIS ON SOCIO-POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT OF NIGERIA

Abstract

Nigeria’s Niger Delta region is not only home to the greater part of Africa’s largest mangrove forest, but also the source of Nigeria’s oil wealth. Here, in this amazing network of creeks, and an aquatic splendor comprising marine, brackish and freshwater ecosystems, lie the operational bases of a kaleidoscope of ethnic militia and insurgent organizations dedicated to the socio-economic emancipation of the Niger Delta peoples. These have culminated in the Niger Delta Crisis. Thus, the area has become a hot bed of violence, insurgency, kidnapping, hostage-taking, oil pipeline sabotage, crude oil theft, gang wars, internecine struggles and so much else by way of anarchy and chaos. Making use of library research and content analysis methodologies, the paper detailed in a systematic manner the real issues involved in the struggle, from the perspectives of the Nigerian State, the Niger Delta communities, and the oil Companies. The paper identified and analysed the major challenges posed by this crisis to the Nigerian State. It concluded that in spite of the continuing deterioration of the crisis into anarchy, terror and a revolving criminality, and the militarization of the region by the Nigerian state, the conflict can still be amicably resolved. It recommended among other things that the commitment of government to infrastructural development of the region and corporate social responsibility would bring enduring peace and stability. Key words: Niger Delta, oil wealth, ethnic militia, content analysis, corporate social responsibility.

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

 The area which is described as the Niger Delta region of Nigeria lies between latitudes 4o and 6o north of the Equator and 4o and 8o east of the Greenwich. It comprises the states of Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo, Imo, Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Abia and Ondo, making it coterminous with all of Nigeria’s oil producing states. Stretching over 20,000 km2 of swamp land in the litoral fringes of the country, it embraces one of the world’s largest wetlands, over 60% of Africa’s largest mangrove forests, and one of the worlds’ most extensive (Eyinla and Ukpo, 2006). Comprising mainly of a distinct aquatic environment *Corresponding author. E-mail: OjakorV@hse.pg.wits.ac.za. which embraces marine, brackish and fresh water ecosystems, it encompasses the most extensive fresh water swamp forest in West and Central Africa, and manifests an intricate network of creeks, rivers, streams, swamps, braided streams and Oxbow lakes, besides a stretch of flat and fertile land mass. In this picturesque basin lives a kaleidoscope of ethnic nationalities which include among others, the Ijaw, Itsekiri, Urhobo, Ikwere, Andoni Efik, Ibibio, Kalabari, Okrika, together with sections of the Yoruba and Igbo. Among these, the Ijaw seems by far the largest. In this region also lies Nigeria’s over 35 billion barrels of proven oil reserves (Eyinla and Ukpo, 2006), besides an even larger deposit of natural gas. The region also accounts for over 80% of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product and represents the economic jugular of the country. 192 Afri. J. Pol. Sci Int. Relat. Here in this intricate network of creeks and braided streams also lie the operational bases of a plethora of ethic militia and insurgent groups of various kinds, with differing goals and objectives ranging from nationalism and freedom fighting to criminality and terrorism. This region is therefore Nigeria’s hot bed of ethnic violence, terrorism and insurgency. But in the midst of unchecked violence and a revolving criminality, together with the resultant widespread anxiety to douse tension and appease the militants, the real issues seem to have been forgotten, and prescribed solutions rendered puerile. This paper sets out to revisit and highlight the real issues involved in the struggle, and to analyse the true challenges that confront the Nigerian State. And deriving from this, to point out some ways to an amicable solution which alone can form the foundation for a genuine reconciliation, and sustainable development and peace through coorporate social responsibility. Conceptual clarification It is pertinent at this stage, to attempt a clarification of two important concepts which are germane to the understanding and explication of our current subject.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

These are the concepts of sustainable development and corporate social responsibility. Sustainable development The concept of sustainable development is related to the need for the institutionalization of best business practices by companies, corporations and sundry business concerns as well as governments in processes of production, distribution and consumption, vis-à-vis their economic, socio-political and environmental spheres of activity. According to World Development Report (2003), sustainability is an evolving framework. It stated that societies will continue to transform over time and since significant social stress and crisis is likely to lead to a breakdown in the development and preservation of all assets, intergenerational well-being is bound to be jeopardized Thus for any given technology and knowledge resource base, there are some utilization rates that cannot be sustained. It is therefore necessary for such unsustainable rates to be highlighted as a guide to corporate decision makers who may thus be enabled to change their course towards sustainability. Sustainable development has been described as that development that meets the needs and aspirations of the present generations, without compromising the ability to meet the need of future generations. Sustainable development strategy may therefore be seen as facilitator for balancing the conservation of nature’s resources with the need for industrial and technological development and advancement put differently, it connotes the capacity to improve the quality of human life while living within the carrying capacity of the supporting ecosystem (Agagu, 2008). Corporate social responsibility The concept of corporate social responsibility embraces the notion that organizations have moral, ethical and philanthropic responsibilities in addition to their usual responsibility to earn a fair return for investors, and comply with the law (Carrol and Bucholtz, 2003). It requires corporate organizations to embrace a broader view of their responsibilities to include not only stock holders but also stake holders. The concept is closely related to the call in the 1960s and 1970s by civil rights movements and environmentalists as well as consumer societies for large scale business organizations to take on greater responsibilities. It is based on the idea that corporate organizations should: Cease to cause societal problems and start to participate in solving societal problems. In this perspective, business organizations were expected to; apart from paying attention to business related responsibilities such as equal employment opportunities, product safety and the environment, also voluntarily participate in solving societal problems, whether they had caused the problems or not. Coorporate social responsibility requires that corporations should go beyond their economic and legal responsibilities, and embrace new responsibilities related to enablement of society. This is the prevailing view in much of the world today. Some basic contextual considerations The armed struggle, internecine conflict and insurgency in the Niger Delta, all of which have been subsumed under the general term; Niger Delta crisis, may be seen in three basic dimensions. As has been mentioned earlier in the paper, the Niger Delta region is a pot-pouri of ethnic nationalities. These ethnic groups, while subscribing to a general interest in the development of the Niger Delta, nevertheless manifest inclinations towards more specific primordial interests.