Elite Corruption and the Niger Delta Crisis: Its implications on the Security of the Nigerian State

Abstract

Oil is the mainstay of the Nigerian economy, as such, it assumed both political and economic dimensions; this has a lot of implications for the security and stability of the nation. The Nigerian state is confronted by considerable challenges arising principally from the struggle and desire to have access to the nation's oil wealth, a phenomenon which has snowballed into what is now known as the Niger Delta crisis. The crisis is induced and fuelled by the corrupt and acquisitive tendencies of the elite.Against this background, the paper seeks to examine oil politics in Nigeria, with particular focus on the problem of corruption, wealth accumulation by the elite, the role of government officials, oil cartels, ethnic militants and other groups in the crisis. Adopting the political economic approach and historical descriptive method, the paper argues that corruption and wealth accumulation by the elite are the bane of oil politics and by implication, major factors influencing and sustaining the Niger Delta crisis, which is a serious threat to the security, stability and economy of the Nigerian state.The paper concludes that for maintaining economic stability, peace and security in Nigeria, the oil resources must be well and judiciously managed for the benefit of oil producing states in particular and all Nigerians in general. In other words, the stability of the Nigerian state depends mainly on equity, probity, accountability and transparency in the management of the nations’ oil wealth.