Oil Exploration and Security Challenges in the Niger-Delta Region: A Case of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Abstract

It is true that the discovery of oil and gas deposits in regions and countries of the world is often a blessing. However, the accompanying security and environmental challenges that heralded the exploration and production of oil and gas in any region of the world, can best be described as dangerous and a curse in some countries. This is due to the pollutions arising from gas flaring and oil spillages which often lead to serious health hazards, damages to the environment, social, cultural and occupational displacements, destruction of means of livelihoods and violations of human rights which adversely affect peace and security. The long neglect of host oil-bearing communities which manifest in the non-provision of basic development infrastructures such as lack of good sources of drinking water, electricity supply, good roads, health and educational facilities, lack of employment opportunities, and deliberate delays by oil producing companies to compensate for oil spills and gas flaring effects and at times, outright refusals to remediate such polluted sites often generate confrontations between oil companies and their host communities. The re-occurring environmental degradations and pollutions arising from gas flaring and oil spillages culminate in rising frustrations and consequent rebellions by youths of oil-rich, but unfortunately neglected Niger-Delta in particular and Akwa Ibom State in general. The futile attempts by the Nigerian central government to use military forces to suppress genuine demands from these regions, have always failed and often lead to stiff resistance and resort to arms-struggles and militant reprisals with consequences on peace, security and loss of lives on both warning parties. It is this abysmal relationship between the oil companies and the oil host communities that breeds regular conflict and security threats that this paper is predicted upon. This study vividly examines the impact of oil exploration on the internal security of the Niger-Delta with a particular attention on Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria.