“Blood Oil,” Ethnicity, and Conflict in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria

Abstract

The long-standing conflict in the Niger Delta region grew out of disputes between the Niger Delta's ethnic communities, oil companies operating in the region, and the Nigerian government. The conflict reveals dynamic patterns that fall into three historical periods: precolonial, colonial, and postcolonial. Moreover, a mix of salient factors contributed to the conditions that are currently exacerbating the conflict: external administrative control (slave trade and colonialism) of the Niger Delta that is alien to the indigenous people; the presence of lucrative commodities (crude oil, palm oil, and timber); and the Niger Delta people's resistance to exploitation and assertion of their rights.During the first period, European powers and slave trade were critical. The second period involved British rule and the palm oil trade, and in the third period issues were localized. The conflict now involves the Nigerian state and its attempted monopolistic exploitation of crude oil. An understanding of the interplay of these factors offers some understanding of the events, issues, and circumstances surrounding the conflict in the delta and undergird the algorithm for any likely solution. In this essay we isolate the respective periods for analytical purposes and examine the general factors that have formed the basis of conflict in the area. We do not assert that there is moral, social, or Mediterranean Quarterly 22:1

Terrorism or clamor for resource control: An analysis of Nigeria’s Niger Delta militants

“…It is therefore not a surprise to associate criminal tendencies that usually accompany such struggles. The literature reviewed (Agbonifo, 2009;Badmus, 2010;Bassey, 2012;Idowu, 2012;Ifedi & Anyu, 2011;Ogege, 2011;Okpo & Eze, 2012;Oluduro & Oluduro, 2012;Oluwaniyi, 2011;Tobor, 2016) indicated that while oil production is easily Nigeria's most crucial economic life-line and has been the major contributor to the nation's overall economic development over the decades, the oil bearing Niger Delta communities have basically remained persistently deprived of the benefits of oil resources. Instead of improving the quality of life of the inhabitants of the region, the discovery and exploitation of oil has led to worse living standards, lost income for the inhabitants as their main source of livelihood from fishing, carving, and dwindling agricultural sector was not replaced with employment in another industry (Agbonifo, 2009).…”

“…The region is made up of ecological zones that range from sandy coastal ridge barrier to lowland rainforest teeming with towering mangrove plants, marine life, bird, giant ferns, and the forests (Amadi & Abdullah, 2012;Obi, 2010). It is considered to be the largest wetland in Africa and one of the largest in the world (Ifedi & Anyu, 2011;Nte, Eke, & Anele, 2010;Obi, 2010;Ogbodo, 2010;Omotola, 2010;Paki & Ebienfa, 2011). Obi (2010) emphasized that the region provides a habitat for a vast biodiversity from its rich resource base.…”