Nature’s Gift, Man’s Curse: Oil, Violence and Prospects for Peace in the Niger Delta of Nigeria

The report examines the Niger Delta crisis, arguing that the transition from a regional to a federal control of oil revenue after 1956, combined with environmental degradation by oil multinationals and state failure in governance, led to systemic instability. It identifies a 30% loss in daily oil production due to militant attacks and recommends environmental assessments, community compensation, and inclusive dialogue to achieve peace.

• The discovery of crude oil in 1956 shifted the control of national revenue from regional and state authorities to the Federal Government, as oil was placed on the exclusive legislative list.
• The current crisis in the Niger Delta is characterized by five primary issues: a lack of social and economic development, environmental insecurity, poor governance, the militarization of the region, and the persistence of legislation perceived as obnoxious.
• The state and oil multinationals are jointly responsible for pollution of land, air, and water, with state policies like the Oil Pipelines Act and the Environmental Impact Assessment Act empowering multinationals while leaving local populations powerless.
• Armed rebellion, pipeline destruction, and hostage-taking by ethnic militias have caused Nigeria to lose 30% of its daily oil production, resulting in the loss of its status as Africa's top oil producer to Angola.
• Previous state initiatives to develop the region, specifically the Oil Minerals producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC) and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), failed due to corruption, bad governance, and a failure to meet the needs of the local people.

APA

Ojakorotu, V. (2008). Nature’s Gift, Man’s Curse: Oil, Violence and Prospects for Peace in the Niger Delta of Nigeria. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/NIGERSEMREP.PDF

Chicago

Ojakorotu, Victor. Nature’s Gift, Man’s Curse: Oil, Violence and Prospects for Peace in the Niger Delta of Nigeria. Institute for Security Studies, 2008. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/NIGERSEMREP.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Ojakorotu |first1=Victor |title=Nature’s Gift, Man’s Curse: Oil, Violence and Prospects for Peace in the Niger Delta of Nigeria |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=14 August 2008 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/NIGERSEMREP.PDF |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ojakorotu2008natures, author = {Ojakorotu, Victor}, title = {{Nature’s Gift, Man’s Curse: Oil, Violence and Prospects for Peace in the Niger Delta of Nigeria}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2008}, month = aug, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/NIGERSEMREP.PDF}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }