Environmental Pollution In Nigeria

Situated along the coast of the Gulf of Guinea is a region about the size of South Carolina that offers a land full of sweet, light crude oil, known as the Niger Delta (Delta). The Delta sits within the country of Nigeria in West Africa and is in a constant state of crisis, underpinned by a multitude of key issues. Those issues include severe poverty, soil and water contamination, high infant mortality rates, low life expectancy, depletion of natural resources, corruption, and armed militia groups. These issues have one thing in common: oil.

such as oil rigs and other major sources of chemical pollution from industries. Water samples from this region showed increased

The petroleum trade in chad was supposed to seriously help the poverty rate and benefit the country but it seems it's done just about the opposite. Even though the oil trade brings in money it has negatively affected the local people ESPECIALLY the people around the petroleum extraction itself. For example In the Eastern Logone region that includes the Doba Oil Basin and about 38% of Chad's population was rated 3rd poorest region of chad despite the hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil exported. the other affects on the people are endless and further contamination is always a hazard. There already has been some contamination there have been drainage canals have polluted the surface including the groundwater used by the locals,infertile and contaminated quarries have been returned to farmers without being cleaned or secured,rivers have been sullied by oil spills. These are just some of the environmental impacts the oil trade has on Chad and I think this is a good example that not all companies and corporations can benefit a country even if they bring in money. The oil trade in Chad is a very controversial topic especially in chad there are benefits economically but there are also environmental

Niger Delta region, placing the Nigerian oil output down to a third of its capacity” (Klare 3).

The demand for oil is ever expanding as the world’s energy needs continue to increase resulting in companies striving to meet the demand for oil production. The huge costs of oil importation are what ultimately push the need to tap into our backyard rather than import oil from countries around the world for significantly higher prices. While oil corporations can be credited with providing people minimized costs of products due to their offshore oil drilling efforts. The fact of the matter is that having a cleaner environment is seen as being more vital than having a cheaper product at the cost of an unhealthier environment. Though, many experts agree that the potential risks of offshore oil drilling are often exaggerated, recent disasters such as the British Petroleum (BP) oil spill have proven

Environmental impact and/or attribution of environmental contamination caused by petroleum and gas exploration, production, and storage activities:

Look at any ecosystem and there could be multiple forms of contamination—streams full of toxic chemicals from industrial processes, rivers overloaded with nutrients from farms, trash blowing away from landfills, city skies covered in smog. Even landscapes that appear pristine can experience the effects of pollution sources located hundreds or thousands of miles away.

This impacts the economy as well because it reduces the work force. Also as population increases, clean drinking water decreases. Only 47% of people who live south of the sahara have safe drinking water. Although industry can cause this much pollution it is not the leading cause of water pollution in africa. The leading cause of watter pollution is natural problems such as snails, worms, insect larvae, and other parasites. These organisms cause water bourne diseases which reduce life expectancy, lessen the quality of life, and decrease economic growth. Polluted water harms the fishing industry. Water pollution also occurs when there are oil spills(there is an average of two oil spills a day in

There is greater awareness of the issues and hazards of the dumping of chemical waste and there are laws restricting the dumping of this waste. Since many individuals rely on groundwater for drinking water, many of them are drinking contaminated water. Due to this, there are many health risks including, hepatitis, poisoning and cancer when exposed to polluted water. As well, the wildlife can be harmed from the contaminated ground water.

For example, Shell Oil, an MNC (Multi National Corporation), extracted 50% of Nigeria’s yearly crude output, and 14% of its own output from the Niger delta region (The Changing Nature of Third World Exploitation, 1995). Though a large number of the local populace was recruited by Shell to serve as the basic labor force, there has been no change in the deplorable conditions the locals were living in. Over a period of 15 years, due to massive and widespread oil spills, heavy land degradation of the alluvial soil has taken place. The locals, who come from an agriculture based society, have in effect, been deprived of their ancestral way of life, their heritage, all due to the greed driven actions of the partly

Environmental pollution is an enormous problem in the United States. Environmental pollution is a substance that is harmful or poisonous to the environment. Air pollution, water pollution, thermal pollution, and soil pollution are major types of environment pollution. Pollution is linked to some of the most deadly diseases. “Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas which is poisonous at high levels. CO bonds with hemoglobin more easily than oxygen, so that it reduces the body's ability to deliver oxygen to organs and tissues” (Neidell, 1005). Air pollution is the most harmful out them all because we inhale it every day. "Ozone (03) is a secondary air pollutant formed by nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds in the presence of

that the industry has on Nigeria’s environment. Since the drilling for oil began in Nigeria,

Oil drilling has many harmful effects on our environment. Accidents can happen extremely easily because of how complex drilling for oil is. In addition, the piping that the oil runs through can corrode over time because it’s made of certain metals. This corrosion can lead to contaminating the water and land around it. Even if the pipes don’t corrode, large waste pits which are usually left opened and unmarked also emit contamination. In addition, Dust from drilling the oils can coat the surrounding areas and flames from burning the natural gas found in oil fields can cause air pollution. Furthermore oil spills and accidents can have devastating ecological and health consequences that can last for decades. Oil contamination can wipe out entire ecosystems. Water produced by oil drilling contains arsenic, as well as cadmium, mercury, lead, zinc, and copper. These heavy metals are toxic to humans and animals. Not to mention that the oil during these oil spills can smother fish and coat birds feathers, which reduce their ability to maintain their body temperature. ("The Effects of Oil Drilling."

     Gas flaring is also a significant problem in Nigeria. As much as 76% of the natural

Most children in the Niger delta have little or no education, due to lack of funds from their parents who have lost their lands and have no jobs because of limited opportunities. The Niger delta government and the oil companies have refused to look into the situation; instead they favor their close relations neglecting the masses. Corruption in the Niger delta has led some youths in taking drastic measure in order to put food on their table. For example, Ikechukwu Efe an indigene of the Niger delta said that some of his friends created their own “oil refinery”, which is made up of crude oil in metal barrels with controlled heat from fire woods. This is a dangerous process in refining crude oil but the degree of poverty in the state left his friends with no choice. If only the government of the Niger delta have created jobs with the wealth of the state Ikechukwu’s friend would not have to put their lives in danger. Until corruption is put to an abrupt the people of the Niger delta will continue to live in poverty.