In Nigeria, the oil industry
is considered to be the largest sector and main generator of GDP in Africa's
most populous nation. It's economic benefits are countless, but all in all, oil
spills in Nigeria are a common occurrence. Oil spills in the Niger delta have
acute and long-term effects on human health. Thousands of barrels of oil have
been spilt into the environment through our oil pipelines and tanks in the
country. This spillage is as a result of our lack of regular maintenance of the
pipelines and storage tanks. Some of these facilities have been in use for
decades without replacement.
Sabotage is another major cause
of oil spillage in the country. Some of the citizens of this country in
collaboration with people from other countries engage in oil bunkering. They damage
and destroy oil pipelines in their effort to steal oil from them. SPDC claimed
in 1996 that sabotage accounted for more than 60 percent of all oil spilled at
its facilities in Nigeria, stating that the percentage has increased over the
years both because the number of sabotage incidents has increased and because
spills due to corrosion have decreased with programs to replace oil pipelines.
Oil spillage has a major
impact on the ecosystem into which it is released and also has immense effects
on mangrove forests, which are especially susceptible to oil.
Spills in populated areas
often spread out over a wide area, destroying crops and aquacultures through
contamination of the groundwater and soils. The consumption of dissolved oxygen
by bacteria feeding on the spilled hydrocarbons also contributes to the death
of fish. In agricultural communities, often a year's supply of food can be
destroyed instantaneously. Because of the careless nature of oil operations in
the Delta, the environment is growing increasingly uninhabitable.
Depletion of fish populations
Fish and shellfish may not be exposed immediately, but can
come into contact with oil if it is mixed into the water column. When exposed
to oil, adult fish may experience reduced growth, enlarged livers, changes in
heart and respiration rates, fin erosion, and reproduction impairment. Oil also
adversely affects eggs and larval survival.
Massive oil spill arising from underwater and surface crude
oil leakages from pipelines along the Nembe South, Nembe Local Government
Council Area of Bayelsa State has raised food security concerns in the
locality.
This is because the indigenes of the affected communities and fishing settlements are increasingly unable to eke out a living
as fishing and farming activities have been grounded to a halt, amid the threat
of water poisoning.
Way Forward
However bleak this situation
may seem for the Niger Delta region there are clearly alternatives that can be
implemented to save it from future contamination. Satellite imagery combined
with the use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) can be put to work to
quickly identify and track spilled oil. To hasten the cleanup of spills,
regional cleanup sites along the problem areas could help contain spills more
quickly. To make these tasks feasible more funding must be provided by the
stakeholders of the oil industry. Nongovernmental organizations will keep
fighting the damaging effects of oil, but will not win the battle alone.
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