Environmental Damage Caused By The Activities Of Multi National Oil Giants In The Niger Delta Region Of Nigeria

Abstract

This paper investigates the impact of oil and gas exploration on the host communities of the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. It is pertinent to note that while the people of the Niger Delta Region may have benefited from oil and gas exploration, the adverse economic, environmental, health, social, urbanization impacts of the operations outweigh the benefits. Among the negative impacts are emergence of new diseases, change in water quality, a reduction in the quality of mangroves, infertility of farm land, collapse of fisheries and shift in regional climate. However, despite the negative impacts, majority of the residents would still prefer that the oil companies change the way they conduct business rather than close oil and gas exploration in the region. Nigeria flares 17.2 billion m 3 of natural gas per year in the Niger Delta. The gas flared expends huge amounts of energy and causes environmental degradation and diseases.