Environmental Pollution and Its Ecological Consequences on the Niger Delta: A Review of the Literature

Petroleum exploration has brought a lot of revenue to the Nigerian government as most of the country’s investments and expenditures depend on the profits from oil. However, the processes of petroleum exploitation over the past 60 years have also come with negative consequences most notably the environmental pollution of the Niger Delta ecosystem. Many empirical studies have been funded by partnering organizations to assess the impacts of these exploration activities on the ecosystem. This study is significant because research clearly shows that the impacts of environmental degradation affect local residents and can be felt across time and space. Our goal in this study is to synthesize the findings of those studies. Primarily, we aim to answer the following questions; 1) What are the impacts of pollution on the Niger Delta ecosystem in water, soil and air” what are the effects of oil spillage on the socio-economic activities of the people and the environment in some communities in the Niger Delta” and what are the possible processes and avenues through which these impacts can be mitigated?” Over 60 articles were systematically reviewed in this study. We reported our findings under three broad categories, focusing on the three aspects of the environment – soil, air, and water as well as the actors responsible for these acts of pollution. Our review revealed that several operating oil companies are responsible for oil spills because of mismanaged pipelines coupled with environmentally unsustainable practices of gas flaring; Conversely, illegal refining and pipeline vandalism perpetrated by militant groups of the host communities have resulted in a more polluted environment; Government negligence in regulating oil operations in the region and failure to ensure that polluted sites are adequately remediated have further compounded the crisis and environmental degradation in the region. It goes without saying that all stakeholders in the business of petroleum exploration should accept the responsibility of protecting the environment. Our review pushes this conversation further by stressing the need to involve local communities in the maintenance and monitoring of pipelines. At the end of the day, the ultimate goal of improving the quality of life of members of rural communities serves not only them but all other stakeholders.