Project Materials

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF PIPELINE VANDALISATION AND ITS ECONOMIC IMPLICATION

Chapter one

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of The Study

Nigeria is endowed with a wealth of natural resources; since the shift away from agriculture, the oil and gas sector has been the primary contributor to the country’s economy. Among Nigeria’s states, those in the Niger-delta region are the driving force behind the country’s oil and gas business.

Over the years, the region has suffered environmental degradation and charges of marginalisation in the provision of employment, patronage, and ancillary contracts, which has fuelled the growth of conflict in Nigeria;

the effect of this conflict became more pronounced in the 1990s, with local militias constantly using violent protest as a medium to subvert, delay, and obstruct oil and gas activities, resulting in conflict known as “petro violence”.

According to Watt (1999), because of the nature of Nigeria’s political economy as an overly oil-dependent neo-patrimonial state, oil resources and oil rents are paramount in shaping national political discourses and increasing the broad rhythm of social conflicts, including ongoing security threats in Nigeria’s oil producing sector.

Since the discovery of oil and gas (ONG) in this region (Niger delta) in 1956, there has been a decline in both political and socioeconomic well-being of the people of the Niger delta region due to environmental degradation caused by a lack of regulation and abuse of oil and gas exploration and production activities.

The ongoing increase in joblessness in this area of the Niger delta has resulted in an increase in crime, criminal activity, and other political violence.

With regard to the proximity and ease of access of the region’s energy infrastructure to the inhabitants, oil pipeline vandalism and the practice of illegal bunkering has become a major issue that has a role to play in speeding up criminality and population displacement, which has a negative impact on the social integration of communities in this region.

Oil and gas exploration activities such as extraction and transportation have a substantial impact on the lives of the region’s residents as well as the environment.

The people in this region are primarily engaged in farming and fishing; imagine a situation in which these people are unable to farm or fish due to excessive oil on water bodies and farm lands; the negligence of most multinational corporations (MNOCs) and the federal government of Nigeria was what sparked the protests.

The continued disregard for the people’s protests in this region resulted in the vandalism of oil pipelines transporting crude oil, which had a severe impact on Nigeria’s economy and economic progress.

1.2 Statement of  TheProblem

What prompted the study of the environmental effects of pipeline vandalism and its economic implications was the continued rise in joblessness in the Niger delta region, the impact of oil and gas exploration on people and the environment, and the negligence of multinational corporations and Nigeria’s federal government. The region is a major contributor to Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, but infrastructural development is underfunded.

1.3 Aims and Objectives of the Study

The primary goal of the research is to investigate how pipeline vandalism affects the ecosystem. The study’s particular aims are stated as follows.

1. Investigating the impact of pipeline vandalism on the environment and national security.

2. To investigate the relationship between pipeline vandalism and the socioeconomic development of Nigeria.

3. Discuss the role of multinational corporations in conflict resolution and the development of socioeconomic integration of communities.

4. Investigate the impact of vandalism on the country’s energy and security crises.

5. To make recommendations for conflict resolution and to stimulate future research on the aforementioned topic.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

To determine the aforementioned aims, the study formulated the following research question:

1. How does pipeline vandalism affect the environment and national security?

2. Is there a relationship between pipeline vandalism and Nigeria’s socioeconomic development?

3. What responsibilities do multinational corporations play in conflict resolution and promoting socioeconomic integration of communities?

4. How has vandalism exacerbated the country’s energy and security crisis?

1.5 Research Hypothesis

Hypothesis 1.

H0: pipeline vandalism has no significant impact on the environment or the national economy.

H1: Pipeline vandalism has a severe impact on the environment and the national economy.

Hypothesis 2.

Hypothesis: There is no substantial association between pipeline vandalism and the socioeconomic integration of populations in the Niger delta.

H1: pipeline vandalism has a substantial association with the socioeconomic integration of communities in the Niger delta.

1.6 Significance of the Study

The study will be extremely beneficial to the people of the Niger Delta, multinational corporations, the state and federal governments of Nigeria, as it will explore the key causes of pipeline vandalism and solutions to the impact on the national economy. The findings will also help other scholars who want to conduct comparable studies on the topic.

1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study on the environmental effects of pipeline vandalism and its economic implications is limited to the Niger Delta region, its people, multinational corporations, and Nigeria’s federal government.

1.8 Limitations of the Study

FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS: Due to a lack of funding for the research project, the researcher was unable to cover all regions of the community; however, the researcher was able to obtain good responses that are important to the research task.

TIME CONSTRAINTS: Rural areas typically have poor roads, and the researchers are unfamiliar with almost all of the areas in the Niger Delta region; as a result, the researcher was given limited time to reach out to respondents, but he or she was able to meet the deadline for submitting the research work.

1.9 Definition of Terms

Pipeline vandalism is the wilful or purposeful act of destroying petroleum pipelines with the sole purpose of stealing crude oil and associated petroleum products.

DEGRADATION: the condition or process of deteriorating or being degraded, which could lower the quality of the environment in accordance with the study.

CONFLICTS: a significant quarrel or conflict, usually a long one.