The Socio-Cultural Implications of Crude Oil Exploration in Nigeria
- Five decades of oil exploration have made Nigeria the holder of the largest natural gas reserve and a major oil producer in Africa. The country earns a huge amount of money from oil sales from where she derives approximately 98% of her export earnings, making her a monoeconomy. Unfortunately, oil exploration over this period has left the environment of the region greatly degraded. This has negatively affected the economic, social, and cultural lives of the people. This chapter highlights the sociocultural implications of crude oil exploration on the people of the Niger Delta, from where the vast majority of crude oil is explored. Oil exploration has resulted in huge land take, oil spills, and gas flaring. The result is that the agricultural land and rivers for fishing have been polluted, thereby destroying the economic and social lives of the people. Food production is very low and poverty is widespread. Agitation for the restoration of the polluted environment by the youths has grown into deadly militancy. The cherished culturalFive decades of oil exploration have made Nigeria the holder of the largest natural gas reserve and a major oil producer in Africa. The country earns a huge amount of money from oil sales from where she derives approximately 98% of her export earnings, making her a monoeconomy. Unfortunately, oil exploration over this period has left the environment of the region greatly degraded. This has negatively affected the economic, social, and cultural lives of the people. This chapter highlights the sociocultural implications of crude oil exploration on the people of the Niger Delta, from where the vast majority of crude oil is explored. Oil exploration has resulted in huge land take, oil spills, and gas flaring. The result is that the agricultural land and rivers for fishing have been polluted, thereby destroying the economic and social lives of the people. Food production is very low and poverty is widespread. Agitation for the restoration of the polluted environment by the youths has grown into deadly militancy. The cherished cultural values have eroded away and there are intra- and intercommunal clashes leading to huge casualties. To ameliorate the environmental degradation, the government should implement all the recommendations of the investigative reports on the Niger Delta environmental degradation according to international standards.…