Abstract
On 4 August 2011, United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) submitted an unprecedented, scientific, groundbreaking environmental assessment report (EAR) on Ogoniland to the Nigerian government. This was the outcome of a 14-month intensive evaluation of the extent of pollution. The intention was that UNEP’s recommendations would be implemented to restore the devastated environment, on the one hand, and on the other, counteract the numerous environmental health issues that have for decades, plagued Ogoniland. However, five years post-EAR, and despite the seriousness of the situation, no significant resolution has occurred on the part of the government or the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) or Shell. To date, millions of Niger Delta residents particularly those living in the oil-bearing communities, continue to suffer severe consequences. Although the assessment was conducted in Ogoniland, other communities in the Niger Delta are also affected. This article explores prevailing issues in the Niger Delta, using Ogoniland (a microcosm of the Niger Delta) as an example. A multidisciplinary approach for sustainable mitigation of environmental health risks in the Niger Delta is paramount, and environmental management tools offer valuable strategies. Adopting the UNEP’s recommendations for addressing environmental health problems requires implementing the environmental management/environmental management system (EM/EMS) model. However, the persistent lack of political will on the part of the Nigerian government, and the grossly nonchalant attitude by Shell remain major obstacles towards executing UNEP’s recommendations.
Highlights
Decades of oil exploitation, exploration, and production activities in the Niger Delta have led to severe environmental degradation that has created complex problems in the region
Environmental exploitation has been a major point of contention between the Nigerian government, multinational oil companies (MOCs)—the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) in particular—and the communities affected by oil pollution
While my proposed environmental management system (EM/EMS) model cannot resolve such issues as government, MOC and regulatory agency commitment to environmental preservation, it will proactively avert environmental degradation by preventing pollution once appropriate measures are taken by the responsible parties to do what is needed
Summary
Exploration, and production activities in the Niger Delta have led to severe environmental degradation that has created complex problems in the region. Much worse for Ogoni and other affected communities, is the fact that dwellers suffer heightened deprivation of livelihood means due to severe oil pollution and associated consequences Both the Nigerian government and Shell have paid little attention to the cry of these people whose ecosystems, ecology, and means of livelihood have been severely impacted [4]. MOSOP faced horrendous challenges meted out by the military dictatorship, including various degrees of mistreatment, arrests, detention, and even killing of its members, including the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa, MOSOP founder Their unswerving efforts facilitated the eventual ejection of SPDC from Ogoni in 1993, enhancing the popularity of the entire Ogoni situation within the international community [8,9,10,11,12].
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