Niger Delta Region Research Articles

The Paradox of the Niger Delta: Examining the Principal Determinants of Poverty and Underdevelopment

Extant literature indicates that the Niger Delta region has struggled with developmental issues for ages. Efforts by the government to tackle the perennial underdevelopment have met with failure, a situation that has necessitated the institution of diverse research to unearth the causal factors. Leveraging a combination of historical analysis and a survey involving 206 respondents, this study brings to the fore the principal drivers of poverty in the region, with mismanagement of funds and the apparent lack of citizen engagement emerging as the most significant predictors of poverty and underdevelopment. The study thus highlights the need for optimal management of financial resources and also emphasizes the centrality of citizen engagement and participatory communication in community development. The study argues that while funding is critical to development, no substantial development can occur without the active participation of the citizens, from the conceptualization to the execution of strategies and plans for development.

Upsetting the gender imbalance in African popular music: The example of Diepreye Osi of the Ịjọ (Ijaw) of Nigeria

For sometime now, there has been a conversation among scholars about male hegemony in African popular music and how some women performers resist the established status quo. In joining the discourse in this article, I focus on the owigiri music of Diepreye Osi, a female bandleader among the Ịjọ of Nigeria’s Niger Delta region. With particular attention to the departments in the bands of that premier neo-traditional music in the Ịjọ community, including instrumentation, dancing and singing, I argue that Diepreye contests patriarchy in her musical ensemble. Data for the study was gathered from unstructured interviews of artists and non-artists, and observation of live performances.

Crude Oil Contaminated River Fishes arising from the Activities of Illegal Petroleum Refining in Oshika and Egbalor Communities in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria

Crude Oil Contaminated River Fishes arising from the Activities of Illegal Petroleum Refining in Oshika and Egbalor Communities in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria

ECOLOGICAL AND HUMAN HEALTH RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH SOIL POLLUTION BY PAHS AND HEAVY METALS IN THE NIGER DELTA

Despite the prevalence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals (HMs) in Niger Delta's crude oil regions, comprehensive research on their concentrations and combined risks in crude oil-contaminated soils is lacking. Our study focused on examining the concentration, source, spatial distribution, and health risk of 16 PAHs and 9different HMs in soils across a gradient of Niger Delta area Nigeria. The objective was to gain a comprehensive understanding of the HMs and PAHs' behavior in the environment and their potential impact on human health. The mean total concentrations of 16 PAHs (Σ16PAHs) were 779.58 ng/g for upland area, 749.46 ng/g for mid-slope area, and 679.37 ng g-1 for Low-land. The concentration of the HMs followed the order of Cu > Cd > Ni > Pb > Cr > Fe > Mn > Zn > Co, with Cu, Cd, Ni, and Pb exceeding the permissible levels. The study areas displayed varying concentrations of NO3-, PO42-, SO42- Ca, Na, and K, with some levels exceeding acceptable values, possibly influenced by crude oil contamination and the use of fertilizers. In the Niger Delta regions, the primary sources of soil PAH contamination include crude oil spills, natural crude oil seepage, and coal combustion. With this, the government of Nigeria should strengthen soil contamination monitoring, enforce spill regulations and promote eco-friendly farming.

Prevalence and risk factors of hypertension and diabetes mellitus in riverine communities in Nigeria’s Niger delta: implications for community-based interventions

Background: The global burden of non-communicable diseases is enormous, especially in low- and middle-income countries. This study assessed the prevalence of hypertension and diabetes mellitus and associated factors among adult residents of riverine communities in Niger delta region of Nigeria. Methods: A community-based descriptive cross-sectional study. Adults aged 18 years and above residing in riverine communities who attended a free medical outreach programme were screened for hypertension and diabetes mellitus. Anthropometry and measurements were done using standard methods. Data was analysed using SPSS version 26. Results: Of the 1597 participants, 1066 (66.6%) were females, 470 (29.4%) overweight and 356 (22.3%) were obese. Their mean age was 41.0±14.5 years. The prevalence of hypertension diabetes mellitus and hypercholesterolemia was 37.6%, 3.9% and 65.6% respectively. Significant predictors of hypertension were age ≥40 years (OR =3.86, CI: 2.59-5.75, p<0.001), male sex (OR=1.78, CI: 1.19-2.65, p=0.005), overweight (OR=1.92, CI: 1.19-3.11, p=0.008) and obesity (OR=1.73, CI: 1.05-2.85, p=0.032). No statistically significant association between demographic characteristics and diabetes mellitus was observed. Conclusions: The high prevalence of hypertension and diabetes mellitus in the riverine communities calls for an urgent need to set up community based noncommunicable diseases prevention programmes and then develop and implement effective targeted interventions to help residents of the riverine communities diagnosed with these conditions to better manage the disease.

Risk Assessment and Distribution of Heavy Metals in Water and Sediments along Ibelebiri Axis of Kolo Creek, Ogbia Local Government Area, Niger Delta Region of Nigeria

Pollution arising from uncontrollable combustion processes, including artisanal refineries are common in communities through which Kolo Creek traverses. Previous studies have centered on the effect of oil and gas production on Kolo Creek at shell flow station at Imiringi. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the risk and distribution of heavy metals (Zn, Ni, Cr, Cu, Pb, Co, and Cd) in water and sediments along Ibelebiri axis of Kolo creek in Ogbia L.G.A., Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Water and sediment samples were collected at locations upstream, within and downstream at Ibelebiri community, and also from a control site. Generally, heavy metal concentrations showed a decreasing trend of Cu˃Zn˃Pb˃Cr˃Cd˃Co˃Ni for water samples. The mean concentration of these metals: Ni, Cr, Zn and Cu recorded in this study was below international recommended limits. But, Pb, Cd levels in locations LC1, LC3 and LC4 are above the international recommended limits. The heavy metals in the sediments showed a decreasing trend of Zn˃Pb˃Cu˃Co˃Cr˃Ni˃Cd. The concentrations of these metals Cd, Pb, Ni, Cr, Cu and Zn are below the permissible limit set by Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR). However, Co values at locations LC3 and LC4 are slightly above the DPR target value of 20 mg/kg for sediments. Using the geoaccumulation index (Igeo) classification, the sediments across the four locations are uncontaminated with Cd, Cr, Cu, Zn, Co and Ni. But, the sediments in locations LC1, LC3 and LC4 are moderately contaminated with Pb. Similarly, the contamination factor (CF) classification, revealed low contamination of Cd, Cr, Cu, Zn, Ni and Co across the four locations; moderate contamination of Pb in the four locations. Finally, principal component analysis (PCA) identified two major factors.

Evaluation of the potential of agricultural wastes-cattle manure and poultry manure for bioremediation of crude oil-contaminated soil

The Niger Delta region of Nigeria suffers from petroleum pollution, which affects ecosystem functioning and human health, which necessitates finding sustainable remediation options that utilize local resources. In this work, cattle manure (CM) and poultry manure (PM), which are primarily utilized as biofertilizer for agricultural purposes, were utilized to bioremediate crude oil-contaminated soil on a laboratory scale. In addition to being readily accessible, CM and PM are also sustainable bioresources that are host to a wide variety of microflora that can be used for bioaugmentation. At the end of the 1.5 month study, the impact of the amendments on speciated total petroleum hydrocarbons (STPH) in the range of nC10-nC40 was evaluated. A significantly higher STPH degradation of 36% in PM-amended soil was observed compared to CM-amended soil (23%); and only 1% degradation in enhanced by natural attenuation soil (RENA). The pre-dominant aliphatic fractions in the samples analyzed were nC16-nC35. In comparison to the CM amendment option, PM amendments achieved better bioremediation of these fractions. Moreover, the effect of biowaste ratio amendment to the contaminated soil showed that the ratio 1:1 (w/w) for both bioadmendments performed better than the ratio 1:2 (w/w), suggesting that the higher the amount of amendment to contaminated soil, the more effective the bioremediation. The results of this study demonstrate the potential of PM as a sustainable, affordable, and local bioremediation technique for recovering soil contaminated by crude oil in the Niger Delta.

Effect of Crude Oil Contamination on Compaction and Consistency of Some Clay Soils from Parts of Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Bayelsa state is the southernmost part of the crude oil prolific Niger Delta region of Nigeria where oil exploration and exploitation activities have resulted to the pollution of its land, water, and air. Most parts of the area have experienced crude oil contamination of one form or the other, and the effects on man and the ecosystem are wide ranging. This study has examined the effect of oil contamination on the compaction behaviour of two clay samples obtained at shallow foundation depths in Yenagoa. The two clay samples, A and B are classified according to the unified soil classification system (USCS) as high plasticity inorganic sandy fat clay, and sandy lean clay, respectively. 4, 8, and 12 % crude oil by mass of dry soil were used to mix with the soil samples and left to cure in plastic bags for 48 hours before testing. In sample B, liquid limit (LL) was found to increase by about 9% for all proportions of crude oil while plastic limit (PL) was increased by 13%, 15%, and 27% for 4, 8, and 12 % oil content, respectively. These increase in LL and PL also brought about an increase in plasticity index except for 12% crude oil treatment. However, in all, a low plastic soil was changed to a slightly high plastic one as plotted on the Casagrande chart. The maximum dry density (MDD) of the two samples was also reduced by oil contamination with an increasing oil content exacerbating the reduction of MDD. It is therefore, recommended that care be taken during construction when dealing with clay soils within a potential crude oil contaminated region.

Long-Term Monitoring of Oil Spill Impacted Vegetation in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria: A Google Earth Engine Derived Vegetation Indices Approach

New and emerging cases of oil spill incidents are reported almost on a weekly basis in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria with accusations and counter-accusations as to the claims made by interested parties on perceived impacts of the spills on the environment and its associated constituents. This study applied the capabilities offered by the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform to monitor long-term vegetation dynamics as a result of exposure to pollution emanating from crude oil spills in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The capabilities offered by GEE provide a platform for rapid access to big data for the assessment of environmental change, especially in the Niger Delta with its difficult terrain and security concerns. This study considered oil spill incidents in vegetated terrestrial locations in the Niger Delta across ten years. Fifteen locations spread across the region with oil spill incidents identified as large incidents being selected (>50 <5000bbl). Results of the statistical analysis performed on the vegetation indices data generated from GEE suggest that the analysis of long-term vegetation indices using GEE can provide a broad view of the impact of oil spills on vegetation over time if the spills are relatively large or the spills are repetitive. However, when the spills were relatively small, there was no statistically significant variation in the spectral signatures of the vegetation over time. This suggests that for large spills, GEE-derived vegetation indices can be a very useful synoptic tool in monitoring oil spill occurrence and impact on vegetated terrestrial environments in the Niger Delta and elsewhere where environmental accessibility is a challenge.

Impact of artisanal refining activities on bacterial diversity in a Niger Delta fallow land

Hydrocarbon pollution is a major ecological problem facing oil-producing countries, especially in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. In this study, a site that had been previously polluted by artisanal refining activity was investigated using 16S rRNA Illumina high-throughput sequencing technology and bioinformatics tools. These were used to investigate the bacterial diversity in soil with varying degrees of contamination, determined with a gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID). Soil samples were collected from a heavily polluted (HP), mildly polluted (MP), and unpolluted (control sample, CS) portion of the study site. DNA was extracted using the Zymo Research (ZR) Fungi/Bacteria DNA MiniPrep kit, followed by PCR amplification and agarose gel electrophoresis. The microbiome was characterized based on the V3 and V4 hypervariable regions of the 16S rRNA gene. QIIME (Quantitative Insights Into Microbial Ecology) 2 software was used to analyse the sequence data. The final data set covered 20,640 demultiplexed high-quality reads and a total of 160 filtered bacterial OTUs. Proteobacteria dominated samples HP and CS, while Actinobacteria dominated sample MP. Denitratisoma, Pseudorhodoplanes, and Spirilospora were the leading genera in samples HP, CS, and MP respectively. Diversity analysis indicated that CS [with 25.98 ppm of total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH)] is more diverse than HP (with 490,630 ppm of TPH) and MP (with 5398 ppm of TPH). A functional prediction study revealed that six functional modules dominated the dataset, with metabolism covering up to 70%, and 11 metabolic pathways. This study demonstrates that a higher hydrocarbon concentration in soil adversely impacts microbial diversity, creating a narrow bacterial diversity dominated by hydrocarbon-degrading species, in addition to the obvious land and ecosystem degradation caused by artisanal refining activities. Overall, the artisanal refining business is significantly driving ecosystem services losses in the Niger Delta, which calls for urgent intervention, with focus on bioremediation.

Greenhouse Gas Distribution in the Niger Delta Region

Increased economic activity has resulted in higher levels of greenhouse gases and carbon emissions in Nigeria, making the country more vulnerable to the effects of climate change. To investigate the distribution of greenhouse gases in the Nigerien Delta, researchers used an ex post facto approach. The information was gathered from the six Niger Delta states that comprise BRACED: Delta, Edo, Rivers, Cross Rivers, and Akwa Ibom. The study focused on twelve refineries or gas flare sites, which represented all of the areas that fit the Niger Delta profile. Starting in September 2022 and ending in February 2023, data were collected every other week using Sage thermal mass flow metres. We used ANOVA and statistical diagrams to look for regional differences in climate-GHG concentrations. Greenhouse gas emissions from the Niger Delta area fell sharply between 1993 and 2022, reaching a low of 1.38 million square metres in 2010. In 2022, the average CO2 concentration in the area was 25.4µg/m³, and SO2 emissions were 20.1µg/m³. Carbon dioxide far outnumbered sulphur IV oxide (SO2) in greenhouse gas flares. Soil organic carbon concentrations averaged highest in Rivers State and lowest in Akwa Ibom. An examination of regional statistics revealed that NO2 and SO2 emissions varied significantly, with the greatest differences found between the states of Edo and Rivers. However, CO2 emissions were uniform across the country. Reduce the impact by collaborating, strengthening our capabilities, conducting research, and sharing our technologies.

Perceived Organisational Support (POS) and the Performance of Organisational Citizenship Behaviour: The Nigerian Sample

This was designed to examine the influence of perceived organisational support (POS) on organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB) of civil servants in Nigeria. The study was conducted in Akwa Ibom State, a state in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Two hypotheses were formulated for the study, and data were collected using a questionnaire adapted from an instrument that had previously been used in a study. A sample size of 800 was conveniently chosen, and the collected data were analysed using descriptive statistics, hierarchical multiple regression analysis, and partial correlation analysis. Findings from the study indicate that POS has a significant influence on OCB. Also, findings show that perceived organisational support (POS) significantly influences the performance of organisational citizenship behaviours directed at the organisation (OCB-O) more than the performance of citizenship behaviours directed at other individuals (OCB-I) within the organisation. Consequently, managers should invest more in activities and programmes that will show that the employees are valued and that the organisations recognise the value they provide through their job performance.

Restive Youths and the Challenges of Oil Theft in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria

This study is one the first attempts that critically discussed; Restive Youth and the Challenges of Oil Theft in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. It relied on secondary data to establish the links between youth restiveness and the challenges of oil theft in the region of Niger Delta. Collier’s theory of Greed (2001), Merton Social Strain theory (1968), and Atkinson and Atkinson (1975) theory of Frustration, form the theoretical background to this research.

Corporate Social Responsibility: Is It Corporate Philanthropy or Hypocrisy?

This paper examines the attitude of mega corporations towards its fulfilment of corporate social responsibilities to host communities in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. It specifically examines the philanthropic and hypocritical dispositions of these firms. A review of literature and industry practice found stakeholders gross nonchalance in the implementation of corporate social responsibilities in host communities. In particular, the study found firms unwillingness to take advantage of the provision of social responsibility expenditure as allowable deductible tax allowance in Nigeria’s tax laws. Finally, the study found government culpable of negligence in the development of host communities. Contingent upon the developmental effects of corporate social responsibilities activities, this paper recommends that it is expedient for all stakeholders to have a rethink about the attitude of mega corporations towards its corporate social responsibilities with the intent of actualising their developmental roles in the host communities.

Resisting Eco-colonialism Through Indigenous Epistemologies and Performances in Nigeria

The lands and natural resources of indigenous communities in the Global South have been severely exploited thereby leading to a major decline in the ecosystem, following centuries of colonization. The research intends to investigate and demonstrate the relevance of indigenous cultural epistemologies and traditional performances, in challenging and reversing the ecological degradation brought about by colonialism in Nigeria. Relying on the postcolonial, and environmental justice theoretical frameworks, an examination of the literature and case study centred on the indigenous populations in Ogoniland in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria will be deployed. Through an exploration of the traditional performances of the Ogoni people, which are deeply rooted in their indigenous cultural epistemologies, encompassing their customary knowledge structures, rituals, and worldviews, this study aims to illuminate the deep ecological understanding that has supported this Nigerian, Niger Delta community for several generations. Additionally, it aims to acknowledge the vital role that indigenous peoples play in maintaining a variety of ecosystems as well as their deeply ingrained spiritual and cultural ties to the natural world. The study examines creative practices and effective eco-restorative projects led by the indigenous people of Ogoniland that defy the colonial-era models of resource extraction and industrial development. The research intends to contribute to the current global conversation on decolonization, environmental stewardship, and the importance of inclusive and diverse viewpoints in sustainable development. The research concludes that indigenous cultural epistemologies and traditional performances provide vital resources for engaging the ecological issues that Ogoniland and other locations in Nigeria for that matter, face by elevating the voices and knowledge of indigenous peoples.

Group Identity and Inter-Ethnic Relations in the Western Niger Delta of Nigeria

Abstract In this paper, the author paints the socio-political canvass that coloured the motif of colonial and post-colonial political arrangement that characterised the western Niger Delta of Nigeria. This paper underscores the Isoko minority group’s struggle for identity as a distinct ethnic group from their Urhobo neighbour in post-colonial times. It is the aim of this work to try to bring light on the history of minority group’s struggle for establishing their own identity and political domain within the framework of sub-nationalism in the Nigerian state using the appropriate theoretical frameworks. The study deployed the historical and analytical methods, with primary and secondary sources to achieve its aim. The paper shows that the identity of the Isoko Nationalism was not clearly established, until after 1963 and even as late as the period of the Nigerian Civil War, the separate identity of the Isoko ethnic group was not clearly established in some circles, until crude oil economy brought them to the limelight after the end of the Nigerian civil war. The author deposes that to appreciate ethnic relations across time and space in relation to contemporary political circumstances, from the perspective of both majority and minority status and in relation to different ethnic out-groups. Finally, the paper shows that understanding the patterns of intergroup relations as exemplified by the Isoko and their neighbours in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria is a necessary prelude to the appreciation of the phenomena in the trajectory of developments that had serious implications on the evolution and trend of the Isoko as an identifiable distinct ethnic group.

Where will the next oil spill incident in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria occur?

Oil spill incidents are almost a daily occurrence within the Niger Delta region of Nigeria with far-reaching environmental, economic and social consequences. This study aimed at understanding the spatial and temporal context of the problem as a panacea for forecasting likely locations of oil spill incidents within the region. About 76.77% of crude oil spilt in the Niger Delta is lost to the environment with only about 23% of the crude oil recovered from the environment. This represents a very worrying statistic in terms of the known and unknown negative impacts of oil spills. Space Time Pattern Mining (STPM) tools were adapted to explore and interrogate historical spill data. Time series forecasting was then used for forecasting possible locations of future oil spills within the region. Results show that there is a pattern of oil spill occurrences in the Niger Delta with statistically significant hotspots identified in Rivers State, Bayelsa State and Delta State. The forecast root mean square error (RMSE) and forecast validation RMSE are −1.016328 and 1.035992 respectively. This suggests an ability of the model to fairly predict likely locations of future oil spills. This was further verified by counting the number of spills that occur within any area based on the predicted likelihood of spill occurrence. This study has shown that STPM tools can be deployed to understand the occurrence and prediction of oil spill incidents. This will ultimately aid in the deployment of scarce management resources to where they are most needed.

Resistance of mosquitoes to Lambda-Cyhalothrin and DDT in a Niger Delta Region of Nigeria.

The escalation of insecticide resistance across the World Health Organization (WHO) African region calls for the routine monitoring of insecticide resistance in mosquitoes. While pyrethroids are recommended for use and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) has been prescribed, it is imperative to reevaluate their efficacy across diverse geographical settings. The extent of resistance among mosquitoes to DDT and lambda-cyhalothrin remains understudied in Ika North East, Delta State, Nigeria, where the yellow fever virus was reported in 2019. We investigated the susceptibility of female mosquitoes to DDT (4%) and lambda-cyhalothrin (0.05%) in this specific study area. Adult female mosquitoes of Anopheles gambiae, Culex quinquefasciatus, and Aedes albopictus, aged between 2 and 4 days, were subjected to these insecticides utilizing the WHO bioassay method. The assessment of knockdown was done between 10 and 60 min, then mortality after 24 h. C. quinquefasciatus and A. albopictus mosquitoes exposed to DDT and lambda-cyhalothrin exhibited high susceptibility, resulting in complete mortality (100%); however, A. gambiae displayed resistance, with mortality rates of 19% and 76%, respectively . Notably, A. gambiae mosquitoes exposed to piperonyl butoxide (PBO)-DDT and PBO-lambda-cyhalothrin exhibited enhanced mortality, reaching 95% (indicating suspected resistance) and 100% (indicating susceptibility), respectively. Knockdown time (KDT) for 50% in mosquitoes exposed to lambda-cyhalothrin ranged from 3.94 to 33.51 min. Similarly, KDT model for 95% ranged from 19.04 to 84.15 min. Among the tested mosquito species, Culex mosquitoes exhibited the shortest knockdown resistance time for lambda-cyhalothrin, recorded at 3.94 min. Similarly, the KDT for DDT ranged from 24.97 to 187.06 min for 50% mortality and from 61.04 to 431.03 min for 95% mortality, respectively. Anopheles mosquitoes exposed to PBO + DDT recorded the lowest KDT. Our study underscores the potential of exercising caution in the use of DDT and lambda-cyhalothrin insecticides for the control of mosquitoes due to emerging resistance.

Forecasting Dead Oil Viscosity Using Machine Learning Processes for Niger Delta Region

Prediction of Dead oil viscosity using experimental measurements is highly exorbitant and time consuming, hence the use of forecasting models. Dead oil viscosity is a very important PVT parameter that solve numerous reservoir engineering problems and one of the most required factors for enhanced oil recovery processes. This study utilized two machine learning algorithms of Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) to predict dead oil viscosity. A total number of 243 data set was obtained from PVT report from Niger-Delta, out of which, 70% were used to train the models, 15% for testing and 15% for validation. Quantitative and qualitative analysis was carried out to compare the performance and reliability of the new developed machine learning models with some selected empirical correlations. The result revealed that the Artificial Neural Network Outperformed Support Vector Machine (SVM) as well as common dead oil viscosity empirical correlations with the best rank of 0.144, highest correlation coefficient of 0.984, Mean Absolute Error (Ea) of 0.205, with a better performance plot, followed by Support Vector Machine model with correlation coefficient of 0.926, Mean Absolute Error (Ea) of 0.199 and the rank of 0.176. The new developed Artificial Neural Network model can potentially replace the empirical models for dead oil viscosity predictions for Niger Delta region.

Micro-Morphological and Proximate Analysis of Sour Sop (Annona muricata L. of Annonaceae) Harvested from a Tertiary Institution Campus in the Niger Delta Region Nigeria

Micro-Morphological and Proximate Analysis of Sour Sop (Annona muricata L. of Annonaceae) Harvested from a Tertiary Institution Campus in the Niger Delta Region Nigeria