Introduction

My research concerning the environmental injustices in Nigeria is necessary to understand how the Ogoni people and those living in the Niger Delta have been taken advantage of for years and to understand how local activists are making great strides in achieving justice. Oil was first discovered in Nigeria in 1956 and has had destructive consequences ever since (Manby). Production began by Shell and British Petroleum in 1958 ultimately resulting in over 7,000 oil spills between the years of 1970 and 2010 (Vaughan).

Oil spills and contamination play a big part in the degrading health of people and the environment. They appear to be commonplace in today’s media and don’t receive much attention. They are, however, of great concern and can affect anyone. You may think that when an oil spill occurs, it is cleaned up and life continues. In reality, it has devastating chronic effects on people’s health and the environment. My research focuses on how oil contamination in Nigeria is affecting the health of the environment and the people living there along with how local activism has played an important part in finding justice. 

The Niger Delta along with Ogoni, Nigeria have had numerous oil spills, primarily as a result of the company Royal Dutch Shell. Unlike major spills in other areas, the oil spills in Nigeria don’t receive much attention. They have been occurring for years and are still ongoing, causing chronic damage to the area whereas other places where spills occurred once are more well-known. Since these well-known spills received so much attention in the media, immediate actions were taken to clean them up. In Nigeria, Shell neglects the damages they cause and there is little done by others to clean up the spilled oil (Lawal). 

As a result of these spills, the air, farmland, and water in Nigeria have all been heavily polluted. Even in areas where oil production has ceased, pipes remain active and continue to leak oil. Shell is responsible for the cleanup of crude oil, yet hasn’t been compliant. Nigerian citizens are unable to fish in their rivers, drink their water, and continue their agricultural ways. Many of the animals that used to live in the area have since moved on and much of the vegetation has been destroyed (FOEI). Environmentalists estimate that it will take thirty years to “sanitize and restore the region’s environment” if action is taken now (Oduah). Local activists are working hard to accomplish this as soon as possible. 

Although oil spills in Nigeria may seem of concern to only a small group of people, it should in fact concern anyone who cares about the well-being of others and the environment. The livelihoods of the Nigerian people are being drastically harmed by big oil companies, and finding justice has been a difficult journey.  As a result of this research, I hope to understand this topic as an outsider through local perspectives.