CLIMATE CHANGE, INSURGENCY AND LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE NIGER DELTA: AN ANATOMY OF POST-AMNESTY PROGRAMME

Abstract

This paper used the Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework in tandem with Political Economy Approach (PEA) to analyse the missing links in the Post-Amnesty Programme of the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN). The study collected data from six of 42 communities in Ogbia Local Government Area (LGA), Bayelsa State, Niger Delta region of Nigeria, while some ex-militants, sampled household heads were interviewed. Stratified random sampling method was used in collecting data from 210 houses in the selected communities. Findings confirmed that government concentrates more on ex-militants alone than paying attention to the fundamental causes of insurgency. While the Amnesty Programme has yielded some positive results, the problems and challenges that triggered violence, insecurity and economic loss in the Niger Delta are yet to be given adequate attention. Since resumption of violence, insurgency and vandalism are known for reducing community resilience in the areas of food production, environment, economic capacity of citizen’s negligence in addressing critical issues in the region will further expose the citizens to greater impact of climate induced disaster. In the light of this exigency, this paper designs post-Amnesty plan and Programmes that can ensure economic empowerment, employment, poverty reduction, people-centred development and peace-building in the region. Thereafter the paper adopts a Niger-Delta Post-Amnesty Development Model (NDPADM) for the entrenchment of concrete inclusive environmental frameworks and self-governance structures in the Deltan polity so as to generate people-centred development, and thus consolidate the gains of disarmament.