Nigeria - United States Strategic Oil Relations In The Gulf Of Guinea

ABSTRACT

The collapse of the strategic oil relationship between the U.S and the Middle

East suppliers brought the Gulf of Guinea and the Niger Delta into a high

profile global energy partnership. The strategic shift had developed as a

form of buffer or counter weight against the insecurity of supply in the

Persian Gulf. This study, therefore explores the rise of the Gulf of Guinea

and Niger Delta as strategic partners. It illustrates the character of strategic

or resource – rich region and the security challenges orchestrated by the

attempts to protect and subsequently explore these resources. Predicated on

Immanuel Wallerstein World System Theory which reveals that the direct

consequences of capitalist drive for raw materials such as oil, market and

profit often engender violence, the study illustrates the character of strategic

oil resource – rich region and the security challenges orchestrated by

attempts to protect and explore these resources. Our method of data

collection is qualitative technique. We made use of secondary sources of

data. In our method of data analysis we adopt the qualitative descriptive

analysis. The study hypothesizes a causal relationship between crisis in the

Niger Delta and the increase in U.S military presence or deployment in the

region. It concludes that the resort to naked force for the protection of oil

infrastructure and installations by the Nigerian State and the U.S has ignited

crises and attendant deaths in the region. Finally, the study suggests

addressing observable contradictions in the system engendered by oil wealth

and distributive politics. This calls for the strengthening of the security

institutions and policies of the Nigerian State to ensure strict adherence to

global best practices in security considerations, good governance and the

development of a comprehensive national security strategic plan that would

holistically address the main security challenges facing the country and the region.