COMMERCIALIZATION OF THE NIGER DELTA AGITATIONS AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

The Niger Delta reign is generally described as an underdeveloped area that has difficult terrain. This situation necessitates various forms of agitations from the people of the region largely because the survival of the Nigerian state is dependent on the oil exploited from the area. This paper deploys the desk study to examine the nature of the Niger Delta people agitations for development and posit that the agitations that started in a protest form have been hijacked by criminal-minded individuals and have become mighty commercialized. The work argues that the Niger Delta people are peace-loving and the now commercialized agitations of few persons in the area is not enough to classify the region as notorious. It is the position of the study that the development of the area will remain a mirage unless the challenges of commercial agitations one addressed. The work therefore recommends collaborative approach of the Niger Delta stakeholders in tackling the challenges.