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The Niger Delta Oil
and Western Strategic Interests: The Need for an Understanding (2)
By
Priye S. Torulagha
The Strategic Importance of the Niger Delta
The relationship between Western oil companies and the indigenes of the
Niger Delta, as shown above, seems to be very unhealthy. Western
multinational companies doing business in the Niger Delta have singularly
pursued a very narrowly focused economic agenda, based on maximizing the
exploitation of the bounties of the region without giving anything in
return, in terms of infrastructural development, affordable housing,
education and training for the youths, medical facilities, economic
development, pipe-borne water, rural electrification, sustainable
environmental management, and an equitable compensation for the exploration
and the use of the land. m In short, the indigenes of the Niger Delta do not
get anything for the use and destruction of their lands and the environment.
A cynic might say that it is not the responsibility of private companies to
develop communities in which they do business. The person might
further add that it is the responsibility of the government to do so.
Therefore, the cynic could argue that it is solely the duty of the Federal
Government of Nigeria to develop the Niger Delta and not the oil companies.
Nonetheless, it can be inferred that the relationship between the citizens
of the Niger Delta and the multinational oil companies, during the twentieth
and early twenty-first centuries, has not changed remarkably from the
relationship between them and the Royal Niger Company in the nineteenth
century. The attitude toward the indigenes and the
economic objectives of the Royal Niger Company, the modern Anglo-Dutch Shell
(SPDC), Chevron-Texaco, Exxon-Mobil, Agip, Ellf-Acquitaine etc.are
incredulously similar if not the same. The Royal Niger Company used
force to compel the indigenes to forego their economic rights. The
modern oil giants are doing exactly the same, using security forces, and
conspiring with corrupt Nigerian leaders to stifle the rights of the people
while exploiting the resources beneath their territories.
Western relationship with the citizens of the Niger Delta need not be based
on mutual antagonism engendered by perceptions of exploitation and
marginalization. In fact, it can be emphasized that there is a strong
need for a paradigm change in the relationship between the two. The
need for change is accentuated by the fact that the Niger Delta and the West
can build a very positive political and economic relationship that can last
for a very long time. The need for change is also necessitated by the
fact that the West and the industrialized world needs extensive petroleum
resources to drive their engines of economic development and the indigenes
of the Niger Delta need the financial resources to develop their lands,
enhance their economic growth, and sustain the environment.
However, for a mutually benefiting relationship to take place, Western
nations ( the United States, Britain, Holland, France, Italy etc.) need to
be politically more involved in persuading their oil companies: SPDC,
Chevron-Texaco, Exxon-Mobil, Agip, Elf-Aquitaine etc. to adopt a more
humanistic approach in their business practices and become proactive in
assisting the positive development of the region. It also requires
them to recognize that the Niger Delta is strategically very important to
their political and economic well-being as well as the stabilization of the
international oil market. Perhaps, it might be more
educative and persuasive if the reasons why the Niger Delta is strategically
very significant to the West/industrialized world are spelt out in economic
and political terms.
1. Economic Considerations
The strategic significance of the Niger Delta to Nigeria and the West cannot
be underestimated. It is indeed a region with enormous economic
benefit to all the stakeholders. Since Anglo-Dutch Shell, otherwise
known in Nigeria as the SPDC arrived in Nigeria in
1927, it has reaped enormous benefits for itself, Nigeria, Britain, and
Holland. Since that epochal arrival, other Western oil companies have
followed suit. Other giant multinational oil companies doing business
in the Niger Delta include BP (Britain), Chevron-Texaco, Exxon-Mobil,
Halliburton, William Brothers, Litwin etc. (USA), Agip (Italy), Total Fina
(Italy), Elf-Aquitaine (France), Ramboil (Canada), Statoil (Norway),
Dietsman Comerint (Netherland), SASOL (South Africa) etc.
a. Oil Revenue: Although, it is much difficult to concisely
estimate the total revenue that these giant oil companies have generated for
themselves and their home countries in the West, it is possible to infer
that since Nigeria is estimated to have earned more than $350 billion, after
payments to the oil companies, in the last thirty five years (using 1995 oil
prices) of oil exploration in the Niger Delta, these companies too have
inferably earned sizable incomes from doing business in the region. It
should also be noted that Nigeria was estimated to earn about $12 billion
annually from oil activities in 1999(Charette, 1999, February). The
CIA (2001, March 21) noted that oil extraction has “generated immense
profit.” This is not doubtable, following the increasing desire of the
oil companies to invest
billions of dollars on both onshore and offshore oil and gas explorations as
more discoveries are made.
b. Proven Oil Reserves: Nigeria is estimated to have 24 to 31.5
billion barrels of proven oil reserves (Nigeria: Country Analysis, March
2003). Nigeria produces between 2 million and 2.118 million barrels of
oil per day, depending on an approved OPEC quota and oil price fluctuations.
Anglo-Dutch Shell (SPDC) produces 50% of Nigeria’s crude oil, ENI/Agip
The Anglo-Dutch Shell planned to invest $8.5 billion in a five year period.
Elf is intended to invest $1 billion on its Amenam field.
Chevron planned to build a Liquefied Natural Gas plant in Escravos, teaming
up with South Africa’s SASOL company (The Washington Times, 1999).
As Nigeria tries to increase its oil production capacity, there is an
increasing search for more oil offshore. The search has yielded a
number of discoveries. For instance, SPDC announced that its Bonga
discovery would yield about 600 million to 1 billion barrels of oil reserve
per day. The Bonga reserve alone would increase Shell’s production
capacity to about 350,000 billion barrels of oil per day. In 1997,
Shell made the Ngolo reserve discovery. The Ngolo was estimated to yield
about 100 million barrels of reserves. (Washington Times.).
Other oil companies immediately joined Shell to share the potential
reserves. Exxon got 20%, ENI/Agip got 12.5% and Elf Aquitaine got the
remaining 12.5%. Agip struck the Abo reserves which was
estimated to have 4,800 billion barrels of oil reserve per day in 1996.
It had promised to start production in 2001. The BP/Amoco
signed a joint venture with a 35% share while Exxon signed for a 25% share
of the find (Ibid.). A Nigerian local oil firm, Famfa Oil and Texaco
discovered the Agabami reserves in January 1999. This find was
estimated to have several million recoverable oil reserves. Norway’s
Statoil company discovered the Nnowa reserves which was also estimated to
contain several million barrels of oil reserves.
c. Gas Reserves: Since Nigeria has abundant gas deposits on both
onshore and offshore, the effort to tap into the vast gas fields have led
the oil companies to scramble for a piece of the action. Nigeria is
estimated to have 157 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of gas reserves. The
gas reserve potential is estimated at 300 trillion cubic feet. This
makes Nigeria the tenth largest proven natural gas reserve in the world
(Ibid). Out of this massive reserve, Nigeria currently use only
about 12% of the gas to enhance oil recovery while flaring away about 75%.
The Liquefied Natural Gas Project in Bonny, Rivers State, was estimated at
$3.7 to $3.8 billion. The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC)
has 49 percent share in the project.while Shell has 26.6%, Elf has 15%, Agip
has 10.4% share (Washington Times).
To extend the gas market to other West African countries, a gas pipeline is
intended to connect Nigeria to Benin, Togo, and Ghana was planned for three
years ago. Chevron, Shell, NNPC, Ghanaian National Petroleum
Corporation (GNPC), Societe Beninoise de Gaz of Benin and Societe Togolaise
de Gaz are jointly involved in this project (Ibid.).
Western energy companies which have signed deals with Nigeria’s NNPC to
purchase natural gas supplies include Italy’s ENEL electric company (49%),
Spain’s Enagas at 22%, Turkey’s Botas at 17%, France’s Gaz de France at 7%,
and Portugal’s Trangas at 5%. Another gas project which
was scheduled to start in the late 2002 had Spain’s Enagas agreeing to buy
70% of the gas for 21 years and Transgas of Portugal agreeing to a 1 billion
cubic feet of gas deal per year.
While it is particularly difficult to pinpoint how much each Western oil
company has made financially through investment in Nigeria’s oil industry,
it can be said that they are not doing bad at all. If they were not
earning considerable profits, they would have left Nigeria by now.
After all, Shell has been in operation since 1927. Agip came to
Nigeria in 1961 and continues to operate successfully. If the
Niger Delta were not yielding much profit, the western oil companies would
not have been so eager to invest billions of dollars in the increasing deep
sea oil and gas explorations around the Nigerian coast.
The economic stakes are enormous, as far as the Niger Delta is concerned.
Western nations need to seriously pay attention to the region since their
economies partially depend on the successful operations of their oil
companies in Nigeria. For example, when the liquefied natural gas
reserves fields have been fully explored, operationalized, and piped for
commercial usage, many western nations, including Portugal, Spain, Turkey,
Britain, the US, etc will depend, to a great, on a steady supply of gas from
the Niger Delta region of Nigeria to heat their homes and facilitate their
industrial activities.
If the Niger Delta were to become very unstable, the financial and economic
interests of Anglo-Dutch, which is the largest oil company in Nigeria,
Chevron-Texaco, Exxon-Mobil, Agip, Total-Fina, Statoil, SASOL, etc. would be
severely threatened. Such a development would lead to the devaluation
of their stocks in Britain, the US, Holland, France, Italy, Japan, Canada,
Norway etc. If their stocks were devalued, stockholders in various
countries would experience financial setbacks. If the
stock owners were to experience such setbacks, the economies of Britain, the
US, Holland, France, Italy, Norway etc. would also experience some kind of
economic recession or setback.
Such a development would probably lead to an increase in oil prices, thereby
compounding the financial problems of the aforementioned countries and
citizens. The inflation arising from oil price increases would most
probably compel political leaders in Britain, the US, Holland, France,
Italy, Japan, etc. to scramble for a solution in order to stabilize the
Niger Delta since the Middle East is already volatile. Of course,
instability in the Niger Delta would not create the kind of impact that the
1973 Middle East oil embargo had on the economies of the industrialized
countries, it could, nevertheless, make matters very complicated in the oil
market.
d. Avoiding Short-term Economic Objectives: The Niger Delta also
provides an opportunity for Western nations, citizens and their
multinational companies to demonstrate to the world that they have changed
their attitudes regarding the achievement of short-term economic objectives.
In the past, especially during the Cold War, Western nations contributed
immensely in installing and propping up dictatorial and authoritarian
regimes in regions of the world where Western economic interests were at
stake. This was done for short-term economic and political gains with
the resultant effects being very costly to the long-term strategic interests
of the West. For example, Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba was
overthrown in the early 1960s because he had planned to nationalize
businesses that were involved in mineral resources extraction in the
country. Since his ouster and violent death, the Republic of the Congo
has never been the same again. More than four million Congolese
have died, yet, there is no hope of peace in the immediate future. Dr.
Mosedegh, the political leader of Iran was
overthrown and replaced by the Shah of Iran to make it
easier for Western oil companies to explore for oil in
the country. Dr Mosedegh had threatened to
nationalize the oil industry and the multinational
companies did not like that. The Shah was put in
power and propped up supposedly to stabilize the
country for the oil business and the security of the
Persian Gulf Region. The Iranians got tired of the
Shah’s authoritarian ways and drove him out of power
in 1979. The revolution was led by Ayatollah
Khomeini. The Iranian Revolution spurred the
emergence of a militant or fundamentalist
international Islamic movement. The US and other
western countries are now spending billions in an
attempt to contain Islamic militancy in many parts of
the world.
Short-term objectives persuaded Western countries and
the Soviet Union to support and propped up Saddam
Hussein. During the 1980s, he was given all sorts of
assistance, including conventional arms, biochemical
agents, agricultural loans etc. The West remained
quiet and supportive while he attacked Iran, used
biochemical weapons against the Kurds and the Iranians
and killed thousands of Iraqis. Well, the West will
probably now spend more than $100 billion to stabilize
Iraq after driving Saddam from power.
It is hoped that the West will not make the same
mistake by remaining quiet while the indigenes of the
Niger Delta are suppressed and exploited by Nigerian
leaders and the oil companies. So far, it appears
that the Western nations have not learnt from the past
mistakes and have been very quiet over the Nigerian
situation. The same could be said of Equatorial
Guinea where the leader is being propped up,
regardless of his authoritarian style of leadership.
It is a common African saying that prevention is
better than cure. This means that the West should
try to ameliorate the Niger delta situation now,
instead of remaining quiet before the situation gets
out of control. The DRC, Iran, and Iraq are excellent
cases to encourage the west from allowing their
multinational companies to engage in exploitative
economic arrangements that could lead to conflict.
2. The Political Implications
a. Political Marriage: The romance between the Niger
Delta and the West began when the Portuguese first
arrived at the Niger Delta coast of West Africa in the
fifteenth century. Trade between the Europeans and
the Africans began immediately. This was followed by
British political colonization of the Nigerian region.
Thus, Britain created Nigeria and the Niger Delta is
part of Nigeria. Since the creation of Nigeria,
whether for better or worse, Nigerians and the West
have forged political, cultural, economic, historical,
and psychological relationships and interpersonal
linkages that continue to remain so, despite
occasional friction. Nigeria, through its actions,
has consistently demonstrated its relationship with
the West. At its independence in October 1st, 1960,
Nigeria adopted the Parliamentary system of
government. The parliamentary system is most
associated with Britain. When the system did not
serve the country well, Nigeria began to experiment
with the Presidential system in the 1980s. The
presidential system is particularly associated with
the United States. The current political dispensation
is basically presidential. During the Cold War,
Nigeria steadfastly remained in the pro-Western camp
and never threatened to become a communist country.
Political discussions about reforming the Nigerian
economic system have centered on adopting strategies
and tactics that are not fundamentally opposed to
Western models of economic development, including a
need to reduce the size of the public sector and
increasing the role of the private sector in
spearheading economic growth. The indigenes of the
Niger Delta also identify with these economic options
and want an even greater decentralization of the
economy so that states, local governments, and
citizens can become active participants in making
economic decisions that affects their lives. This is
the impetus for their call for resources control.
They believe that oil revenue will be better managed
if the oil producing states assume direct control of
the management of the petroleum sector since they have
a greater stake in the product.
b. United Nigeria: Although, bedeviled by perennial
misrule, utter economic mismanagement, and corruption,
due to lack of dedicated leadership, Nigeria continues
to be technically the jewel in the crown of British
geopolitical influence, the bridge to Sub- aharan
Africa, and the hope of African development,
modernization, and security. As a result, it is
strategically significant for Nigeria to remain as one
nation so that various aspirations can be achieved.
However, the hope of Nigerians, Africans in general,
and the West could be shattered or dashed if the Niger
Delta situation vis-à-vis revenue allocation and
development are not resolved in a manner that is
beneficial to all stake holders. The Western nations,
particularly Britain, and the United States, have a
moral responsibility to persuade Nigerian
power-wielders to amicably resolve the Niger Delta
issues so that the country does not fall apart or
become an economic basket case due to continuing
mismanagement, excessive corruption, and the
unjustifiable distribution of the oil revenue. The
region presently holds the economic key to the
survival of Nigeria as a viable state. Oil, which is
mostly found in the Niger Delta, accounts for “50
percent of Nigeria’s gross domestic product (GDP) and
95 percent of the country’s foreign exchange earnings”
(Washington Times September 30, 1999).
c. Regional Security: It is not a secret that the
security and political stability of the West African
region partially depends on the viability of Nigeria.
In other words, the United Nations, the West, and the
African people expect Nigeria to play a greater role
in the stabilization of the continent, especially,
West Africa, in times of crisis. Nigeria assisted
immeasurably in stabilizing Sierra Leone and Liberia
during the civil wars. In the process, Nigeria lost
over 2000 soldiers and spent about $12 billion.
Nigeria would not have been able to play this role if
not for the massive infusion of oil revenue from the
Niger Delta into its defense budget. For Nigeria to
continue to play active role in regional and world
affairs, the Niger Delta must be stabilized through
serious political negotiations of the substantive
issues. It will be impossible for Nigeria to try to
maintain security outside while its own house is
burning uncontrollably.
d. War Against terrorism: The West, particularly the
United States, is engaged in a War Against Terrorism,
after September 11, 2001, in which almost 3,000 people
lost their lives to devastating terrorist attacks,
with hijacked commercial planes. For the US and its
Western allies to win the war, it needs a multilateral
effort cutting across continents, regions, cultures,
religions, and societies. Likewise, the war must be
fought with strict adherence to human rights,
political freedoms, and respect for all, regardless of
their size, political and economic importance or
location. On the other hand, if the war is fought
with rampant abuses of the rights of minorities, the
frivolous application of authoritarian and dictatorial
security practices, the unnecessary and excessive use
of military forces, and unsubstantiated summary
arrests, detentions, and executions of suspects, the
war would hardly be won since such tactics would only
encourage more terrorist actions against their
“perceived oppressors.”
Likewise, economic exploitation, deprivation, and
marginalization through political oppression,
especially, against communities in which multinational
companies do business would most likely add to the
catalog of dissatisfied groups in the world who would
want to fight for their political and economic
liberation. As can be seen, Nigeria and the oil
companies are using such tactics to clamp down on the
demands for an equitable distribution of the oil
revenue, for cleaning the environment, for reducing
oil spillage, and for stopping gas flaring.
The use of strong-arm tactics to intimidate and
suppress the aspirations of the peoples of the area
only seems to help in fueling strong antagonism
against the federal Government of Nigeria and the oil
companies. There is no need for the West and their
oil companies to turn the indigenes of the Niger Delta
against them by adopting short-sighted policies,
practices, and actions that are inimical to mutual
coexistence. It could be said that anti-western
feelings and terrorism are, to a large extent, by
products of bitter experiences encountered by various
groups in the world, following exploitative business
practices of Western multinational corporations and
states. The West does not need another dissatisfied
region of the world while it is engaged in theantiterrorist war elsewhere.
It is not a coincident that anti-western feelings and
terrorism seem to thrive most in regions of the world
where people feel exploited, suppressed, marginalized,
deprived, and cheated. The Middle East, Africa, some
parts of South-East Asia and Latin America, in
particular, are rife with conflicts due to the feeling
of exploitation, suppression, marginalization,
deprivation, and excessive corruption. The West
already has its hands filled with turmoil in the
Middle East (Israeli/Palestinian and Iraq). Indonesia
is engaged in a civil war in the Aceh region where
some separatists have been fighting the government for
over 20 years due to oil related issues. The
Philippines is always in the news as some Islamic
elements feel oppressed by the existing political
arrangement. Columbia has been in a state of war for
more than forty years. The country has three
well-established armies vying for power.
Peru’s
war against the Shining Path is characterized by high
tide and low tide periods.
It makes a strategic sense not to extend the frontiers
of the terrorist war by allowing exploitative business
practices to continue in the West African region.
Already, the citizens of Equatorial Guinea are already
as frustrated and displeased as the indigenes of the
Niger Delta, over the arrangement between Western oil
companies and the one-man dictatorship that exists in
the country. The Equatorial Guineans have not
benefited from the oil that flows from their territory
while the leader and his family have become very
wealthy.
Thus, the antiterrorism war cannot be won if
exploitation, suppression, marginalization,
deprivation, and corruption are allowed to run wild in
countries in which Western multinational corporations
do business.
Despite being exploited, suppressed, marginalized,
deprived, and cheated for years, the ethnic groups
in the region are peace-loving people and want to do
business in an environment that is mutually beneficial
to all stakeholders. This is not an overstatement,
even though lately, the news from the region has been
characterized by violence emanating from militant
opposition to further oil exploration and interethnic
fights. This was not the case for almost forty years.
It should be recalled that an effort to explore for
oil in the Niger Delta began in 1951 when the
Anglo-Dutch Shell began drilling at Ihuofer
Exploration. A successful oil discovery in Oloibiri,
in Ogbialand, in the present day Bayelsa State of
Nigeria in 1956 changed the political and economic
dynamics of the Niger Delta, Nigeria, the oil
companies, and their home countries (Daily Times of
Nigeria. November 3, 2003). This shows that the
ethnic groups in the region were very tolerant of
Nigeria and the oil companies doing business in their
backyards for more than thirty years without any major
incident. The United States, Britain, Italy, France,
Holland etc. must persuade their friend, President
Olusegun Obasanjo, through serious diplomatic efforts,
to change the way business is done in the region.
e. Strategic Significance: The Niger Delta is
strategically important to the United States, Britain,
France, Holland, Italy and other industrialized
countries since it can serve as an alternative source
of petroleum in the event of a major military conflict
in the Middle East and terrorism. In short, the Niger
Delta is an excellent area to engage in oil business
activity due to a number of factors. The indigenes
are very tolerant, as far as they are treated fairly.
They share some aspects of Western political and
cultural ideals due to British colonization. The
traditional religious system is not ideologically
opposed to Christianity or other religions for that
matter. A sizable number of the population of the
region has converted to Christianity. They believe in
using negotiations to resolve conflict. They are
growth oriented and are willing to adopt workable
political and economic formulas to advance the
development of the region and Nigeria. These
aspirations are not contradictory to Western
political, cultural and business interests.
Consequently, Western nations that have oil companies
doing business in the Niger Delta need to recognize
these great strengths and work to strengthen ties by
persuading their companies and Nigeria to pay a closer
attention to the concerns of the residents of the
region.
f. Security Considerations. It is very essential
that the Niger Delta remains stable for oil and gas
production since the Middle East is tumultuous.
Western nations, led by the United States, has been
making efforts to establish alternative source of
petroleum. Part of the plan involves developing the
African, particularly West African oil reserves so
that if the Middle East were to become too difficult
to do business, a reliable oil source can be found in
Africa. It is inferable that strategic considerations
led the US to provide naval boats to Nigeria in an
effort to update the country’s naval capability in
patrolling the coastal waters. It can also be said
that the same reason probably led the US to
diplomatically propose the stationing of US troops in
the Niger Delta, in an effort to stabilize the region
for major oil exploration.
While the fall back plan is highly welcomed, the
effort to stabilize the West African region,
particularly the Niger Delta of Nigeria, should not be
focused entirely on the security aspects of the
situation. A holistic approach is needed to eradicate
the endemic political and economic problems that have
bedecked the region. Military security without an
accompanying political and economic reforms in the
relationship between the indigenes of the region,
Nigeria and the oil companies would not result in any
form of security for the oil companies. The reason
being that the region has been neglected and deprived
for too long and the people are very angry at their
exploitation and marginalization by both Nigeria and
the oil companies.
The assertion that military security alone will not
guarantee security for the oil companies to do
business is not an exaggeration. The fighting
between the Ijaws, the Itsekiris, and Nigerian
security forces during March and April 2003 clearly
showed that when the ethnic groups in the region are
pushed to fight, they could disrupt oil and gas
operations considerably. During the Warri wars, as
the fighting has subsequently been characterized, oil
operations were reduced about 40% around the Western
Niger Delta. Chevron and Shell and other companies
had to evacuate while the fighting raged on. The
efforts by the Nigerian Navy and the Army to stop the
fighting did not succeed, hence, the oil companies had
to wait until various groups negotiated the cessation
of hostilities in a political manner. If the Niger
Delta were to seriously deteriorate, resulting in
armed conflict, no amount of military security would
guarantee a safe business environment for any oil
company in the region.
Moreover, if the Niger Delta were engaged in a
protracted hostility, involving ethnic fighters and
the Nigerian armed forces, the impact would affect all
the oil producing regions of West Africa. The reason
being that the conditions that apply to the Niger
Delta also apply to other countries, including Sao
Tome, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Angola etc.
Basically, throughout the aforementioned countries,
the indigenes of the regions in which oil is found are
the most deprived and marginalized. For example, Paul
Lashmar (2003, May 1) reported “Equatorial Guinea has
become a major gas producer in the past 10 years, yet
the 500,000-strong population remains in poverty.” A
BBC reporter, Justin Pearce (2002, October 27). noted
“The oil wealth that comes out of Cabinda represents
more than 100.000 dollars each year for each resident
of the province. A psychological hunger is when your
house has a view of an oil rig, and you still battle
to feed your family each day.” Some months ago,
there was a military coup in Sao Tome due to
dissatisfaction by some military officers. The coup
plotters gave up after Nigeria intervened to persuade
them to hand over power back to an elected government.
In the Republic of the Cameroon, the degree of
political and economic dissatisfaction is very high.
The Southern ethnic groups, particularly the
Anglophones, are tired of being marginalized by the
French-speaking political power-wielders.
The possibility is not far fetched, after all. In
other mineral-producing regions of Africa and
elsewhere, civil wars have been raging for years over
the issue of revenue allocation concerning natural
resources. The people of Southern Sudan have been
fighting against political and economic
marginalization by the Sudanese government for over
twenty years. The Democratic Republic of the Congo
degenerated beyond control about three years ago as
various ethnic groups scrambled to get a piece of the
pie, politically and economically. Over three
million people have died in the DRC. The West cannot
afford to allow the Niger Delta to degenerate. To do
so would defeat the Western effort to build an
alternative source of oil and gas.
f. Environmental Concerns: Gas flaring results in
global warming. Global warming affects all regions of
the world, not only the Niger Delta. It is amazing
that before any company engages in any business
activity, particularly, the laying of a pipeline that
is likely to alter he environment in the United
Kingdom, about “17 different environmental surveys are
required to be done before construction is allowed
(The Ogoni Saga). In the Niger Delta of Nigeria, the
oil companies barely conduct any environmental
assessment before engaging in any exploratory
activity. The poisoning and the degradation of the
environment add fuel to the anger of the people.
Conclusion
First, the above discussion clearly show that the
Niger Delta is treated as an economic colony.
Secondly, it shows that there is no regard for the
political, economic, and environmental rights of the
citizens of the Niger Delta. Thirdly, it shows that
Western multinational companies have no regard for
democracy, freedom, justice, and human rights. They
prefer to do business with corrupt and authoritarian
leaders. Fourthly, as far as the relationship between
the indigenes of the region and the oil companies are
perceived to be exploitative, there will always be
conflict involving the people, Nigeria and the oil
companies. Fifth, the present situation can be easily
altered by a change of policy and attitude on the part
of Nigerian leaders, western oil companies, and
western nations.
Thus, despite the current exploitative relationships
and bitter experiences, it is not too late to reverse
cause and initiate a positive relationships between
the various stakeholders. The reason being that the
Niger Delta is strategically important to the
political and economic spheres of Nigeria, the West,
and the world in general. It is necessary to
stabilize the region through an agreeable formula
acceptable to the people of the region. This is
critical if Nigeria is to play its role in the
stabilization of West Africa. Moreover, the region
also provides a safer alternative to the Middle East
and has extensive oil and gas reserves for the markets
in the West and Japan. The Western nations must
recognize the strategic importance of stabilizing the
region by encouraging Western oil companies and
Nigerian power-wielders to change their colonizing and
exploitative attitudes.
Recommendations
This being the case, it is imperative that Western
nations pursue the following goals, options, actions:
(1) Pay more attention to the issues affecting the
Niger Delta. It is no longer sufficient for them to
deal with the region solely through the Nigerian
government. The federal government has failed
repeatedly to live up to its responsibilities.
(2) Recognize the fact that the multinational
companies are sources of conflict and the Western
governments have a moral responsibility to supervise
their conduct, even though they are private
businesses.
(3) Become proactively engaged in compelling the
multinational oil companies to change their
corruptible, exploitative, destabilizing,
intimidating, brutalizing, and destructive business
practices.
(4) Use their diplomatic and economic leverage to
persuade Nigerian power-wielders to become politically
engaged without using military means to solve problems
in the Niger Delta.
(5) Persuade President Obasanjo to treat the indigenes
of the Niger Delta justly by instituting a just and
acceptable financial and developmental compensation.
(6) Persuade the oil companies to institute an
affirmative action plan. The plan should include the
following requirements: (
a) that a certain percentage
of their workforce come directly from the region,
(b)
that a certain percentage of their incomes must be
reinvested in the region through infrastructural and
institutional development,
(c) the provision of
skill-building educational and training programs,
medical facilities, and community development,
(d) payment of a certain percentage of land rights
directly to the communities in which they explore for
oil and gas and
(e) a proactive community relations
program.
(7) The US, Britain, Holland, France, Italy etc.
should treat the Niger Delta as a Special Development
Region and thereby institute development assistance
programs. In other words, agencies like the United
States Agency for International Development (USAID)
should institute International Development Partnership
(IDP) programs to facilitate development of the
region. The USAID can work ith the American oil
companies, and non-governmental bodies in Nigeria to
devise developmental strategies for the region.
Britain, France, Holland etc. should also create their
own assistance programs. This is intended to
stabilize the region so that mutually rewarding
relationships can be established between the people
and the oil companies, as well as between the people
and the Western nations.
(8) The US should encourage the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) to establish cooperative
partnerships with Nigeria, the Niger Delta States,
higher educational institutions in the US and Nigeria,
and non-governmental agencies in the region to
institute an effective environmental policy, research
studies, and cleaning mechanisms.
(9) Western governments should endeavor to make their
foreign policy goals more compatible with their
often-stated ideals of democracy, freedom, justice,
and human rights. If the United States, and Britain,
for example, are strongly committed to the
democratization of the world and would take the
practical means to do so, as in Iraq, then they cannot
ignore the Niger Delta, Equatorial Guinea, Angola, the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Southern Sudan, the
Aceh region of Indonesia. This is necessary to
establish stability not only in the Niger Delta but
also throughout the world.
10. Western nations should join forces with the
United Nations to draft an international law which
makes the illegal transfers of embezzled money by
political leaders and high government officials
illegal. It should be noted that embezzlement is a
major source of poverty in the world. Poverty
increases the need for people to act militantly
against their perceived oppressors. Generally, not
only in Nigeria but elsewhere, money from natural
resources are looted by political and military
leaders.
11.Western nations should join forces with
non-governmental organizations, the indigenous peoples
of the world and the United Nations to draft and pass
an international law which obligates that
multinational companies pay equitably, based on
negotiations, for their business activities in
indigenous territories, be it in the Niger Delta or in
Aceh or in Yine territory. The law should make it
possible to charge, arrest, and try any chief
executive officer (CEO) for violation of the law.
These actions are necessary if peace and stability are
to be established in the Niger Delta. Prevention is
better than cure. As a result, it is time for
Western nations that have oil companies in Nigeria to
understand the situation and assist in resolving the
problems, instead of remaining quiet. If Western
leaders and citizens are truly committed to the
ideals of democracy, freedom, justice, and human
rights, then let these ideals be materialized in the
Niger Delta. The indigenes of the Niger Delta are
tired of their colonial status and want the situation
resolved amicably. Quod erat demonstrandum.
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Concluded
Feb 2004
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