Niger-Delta Crisis and Its Impact on Socio-Economic Development in Nigeria

ABSTRACT This study focuses on the Niger Delta Crisis and its Impact on Socio-economic Development in Nigeria. The region accounts for the huge revenues to the government generated from its oil wealth. Despite the fact that the region’s major resources serves as the mainstay of the economy, the region is characterized by lack of social infrastructure, poverty, unemployment and environmental degradation, which is usually as a result of oil spillages and leaks from the oil exploration activities of oil companies. Due to this pathetic situation, the study delves into the various manifestations of crises in the Delta region, the causes of these crises, the consequences of the crisis, and the measures by the government, past and present towards tackling the imbroglio in the nation’s oil wealth region. Data for this study were drawn mainly using questionnaires and related literatures. Furthermore, data drawn from the questionnaire were analyzed using simple percentage method and chi-square. Furthermore, the study amongst other things revealed that the people of the region have been further impoverished as a result of the crisis; the crisis has seriously dwindled government’s revenue; the crisis has equally dwarfed the level of local and foreign investments in the region. The study concluded by making recommendations, some of which includes the government ensuring that the activities of oil companies are closely monitored and that they conform to best practices; the government ensuring the oil producing communities are adequately compensated and their environment cleansed from oil spillages and leaks by multinational oil companies; the government should also ensure that social infrastructure are adequately put in place by multinational oil companies, so to improve the living conditions of the people.