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Environmental Pollution, Health and Poverty in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria
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2004
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The Niger Delta is one of the world's largest wetlands and includes by far the largest mangrove forest in Africa. Within this extremely valuable ecosystem, oil activities are widespread - Rivers State and Delta State produce 75 percent of Nigeria’s petroleum, which represents over 50 percent of national government revenues. However, despite its vast oil reserves, the region remains poor. Gross National product (GNP) per capita is below the national average of US$280. Optimal resource and land use in the region is constrained by a lack of development, stagnant agricultural productivity, very limited opportunities in urban areas, rapid population growth, the generally poor health of the expanding population and tenuous property rights. Conflicts have developed between local communities and private and public developers over resource ownership and use, particularly tied to oil activities. This study, Environmental Pollution, Health and Poverty in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria, attempts to move beyond emotive arguments to provide an analytical basis for substantive stakeholder discussion of the most critical environmental and social issues and possible interventions. It offers a comprehensive assessment of the environmental issues in the Delta and resulting socio-economic and health impacts. The report was developed based on an innovative and highly participatory process, which emphasized beneficiary consultation and collaboration to ensure local ownership.
The aim of this paper is to analyse and evaluate natural oil resource extraction, its impact on the environment and its effect on development in the Niger Delta communities in Nigeria. This paper will review the above in the context of world system analysis and theories.
The objectives of this paper are as follows:
• Analyse the impact of intensive resource exploitation on the environment of the oil producing communities in the Niger Delta.
• Discuss the impact of environmental degradation as a function of intensive resource extraction in the Niger Delta and its effect on peasant agriculture, health and poverty in the area.