What has state weakness got to do with it? Oil theft and implications on human and environmental security in Nigeria’s Niger Delta region

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper draws on qualitative approach comprising interviews and relevant archival materials to examine how oil theft in Nigeria’s Niger Delta has degraded the environment with dire consequences on environmental and socio-economic sustainability as well as human security. The purpose of this paper is to interrogate the unexplored dimensions of the linkage between oil theft, environmental degradation and human insecurity in the face of apparent state nonchalance and weakness. Specifically, the primary data were generated from the interview of twenty-six key informants, who were purposively selected as well as four focus group discussions (FGDs). The complementary secondary data were extracted from journals, books, government documents and web-based materials. The paper finds that the operations of oil thieves and artisanal refiners have worsened environmental challenges and aggravated human insecurity in the region. The implications include among others, the emasculation of the local economy due to the destruction of traditional means of livelihoods, deepening impoverishment, and heightened prospects of restiveness with negative impacts on Nigerian economy. This paper recommends strengthening the surveillance and response capacity of relevant state institutions, legitimising artisanal refining, and developing sustainable welfare packages to cushion socio-economic deprivations being suffered by oil-bearing communities.