A CASE STUDY OF OIL AND GAS OPERATION IN NIGERIAN DELTA REGION ON THE APPLICATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS TO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENTS
Oil and Gas production, Human rights and Community Engagement in Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.60787/kblsj.v1i6.51Keywords:
oil and gas operation, human rights, community engagement, corporate social responsibility, community-disorderAbstract
As one of the relatively largest oil producers, the economy of Nigeria heavily depends on oil revenues. However, the process of extraction of oil from the earth has led to a plethora of significant environmental damage, human rights violations, and socio-economic inequality. Local communities, more particularly in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, are daily saddled with the effects of oil spills, gas flaring, and disruptions of daily livelihood. By diverse imagination, these local communities are quite often politically excluded from decision-making processes. Drawing attention from the above, the authors examined the relationship between oil and gas operations on the one hand, and the intricate issue of human rights and community engagements on the other hand in Nigeria. The paper therefore argued for the need to ensure endearing peace, security and order among the tripartite parties comprised of oil producers, host communities and government. The authors further accommodated the challenges of ensuring human rights in this process, and thereafter maintained the need for significant progress in establishing a normative policy and framework on human rights and community engagement in Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Operations, notwithstanding the subsisting gaps, inconsistencies and violations. The paper concluded by recommending stronger legal enforcement, corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs, and more inclusive decision-making to protect community rights and promote sustainable development.
References
REFERENCES
‘African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights’ <
https://au.int/sites/default/files/treaties/36390-treaty-0011_-
_african_charter_on_human_and_peoples_rights_e.pdf>
Andrew Scott, Sam Pickard, ‘Faq 3: Oil And Gas, Poverty, The Environment And Human
Augusta C. Nkem, Stephanie M. Topp, Sue Devine, Wendy Wen Li, Daprim Samuel Ogaji,
‘The Impact of Oil Industry-Related Social Exclusion on Community Wellbeing and Health
in African Countries’ <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9627145/>
Best Ordinioha, and Seiyefa Brisibe, ‘The Human Health Implications of Crude Oil Spills
in the Niger Delta Nigeria: An Interpretation of Published Studies’
<https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3644738/>
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).Dufela Patience and
Ricardo Domingos, ‘Oil Exploitation in the Niger Delta: A Case Study of Environmental
Costs and Responsibilities’
<https://www.researchgate.net/publication/381269130_Oil_Exploitation_in_the_Niger_D
elta_A_Case_Study_of_Environmental_Costs_and_Responsibilities>
‘Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making, and
Access to Justice in Environmental Matters’
<https://unece.org/DAM/env/pp/documents/cep43e.pdf >
‘Federal Ministry of Environment: Mandate’ <https://environment.gov.ng/mandate/>
‘Federal Ministry of Environment: Environmental Impact Assessment
Friends of the Earth International, ‘A Journey Through the Oil Spills of Ogoniland’
<https://www.foei.org/a-journey-through-the-oil-spills-of-ogoniland/>
Governing Through Transparency: Corruption, Accountability and Illicit Financial Flows
in Oil Trading’ <https://www.oecd.org/dac/corruption-accountability-illicit-financialflows-oil-countries.pdf>
Joseph Ikechukwu and Nduka Vitalis, ‘Multinational Oil Firms' CSR Initiatives in
Nigeria: The Need of Rural Farmers in Host Communities: Multinational Oil Firms' CSR
Initiatives in Nigeria’
<https://www.researchgate.net/publication/306521848_Multinational_Oil_Firms'_CSR_I
nitiatives_in_Nigeria_The_Need_of_Rural_Farmers_in_Host_Communities_Multination
al_Oil_Firms'_CSR_Initiatives_in_Nigeria>
Justice Ezechi Chigonu, Oko I Madubochi, Uzere A Uayemen Environmental Regulation
of Oil and Gas Operations in Nigeria: The Role of Legal and Regulatory
Frameworks’<https://www.researchgate.net/publication/369766279_ENVIRONMENTA
L_REGULATION_OF_OIL_AND_GAS_OPERATIONS_IN_NIGERIA_THE_ROLE_
OF_LEGAL_AND_REGULATORY_FRAMEWORKS>
Kathryn McPhail, ‘How Oil, Gas, and Mining Projects Can Contribute to Development’
https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2000/12/mcphail.htm
Macaulay Akpan and Radha Ranjan, ‘Balancing Sustainability and Prosperity: The
Impact of the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021 on Nigeria’s Host Communities’
<https://www.researchgate.net/publication/381193504_BALANCING_SUSTAINABILI
TY_AND_PROSPERTITY_THE_IMPACT_OF_THE_PETROLEUM_INDUSTRY_AC
T_2021_ON_NIGERIA'S_HOST_COMMUNITIES>
Merrick Hoben, David Kovick, David Plumb et.al, ‘Corporate and Community
Engagement in the Niger Delta: Lessons Learned from Chevron Nigeria Limited’s
GMOUProcess’https://www.cbi.org/assets/files/Corporate%20and%20Community%20E
ngagement%20in%20the%20Niger%20Delta_Lessons%20Learned.pdf
Mbalisi Onyeka, Christiana Okorie, ‘Implementation of Corporate Social Responsibility
by Oil Companies in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria: Myth or
Reality’<https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342462377_Implementation_of_Corp
orate_Social_Responsibility_by_Oil_Companies_in_the_Niger_Delta_Region_of_Nigeri
a_Myth_or_Reality>
‘Ministry of Petroleum Resources’ <
https://petroleumresources.gov.ng/#:~:text=The%20Ministry%20of%20Petroleum%20Re
sources,of%20the%20country's%20hydrocarbon%20resources.>
Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People’ https://www.mosop.org/
‘National Human Rights Commission’ < https://www.nigeriarights.gov.ng/> ‘NNPC:
Changing the Narrative Through Effective Corporate Communications’
https://www.thecable.ng/nnpc-changing-the-narrative-through-effective-corporatecommunications
‘NNPC Ltd/ First EP Joint Venture (JV) Empowers NGOs with #53.4m’
https://nnpcgroup.com/insights/nnpc-first-e-and-p-joint-vention-jv-empowers-ng-os-withn53-4m
Obumneme Achunike, ‘Social Impacts of Oi Extraction in the Niger Delta Region,
Nigeria’ <https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/343658459.pdf>
Obinna Anejionu, Precious – Ann , and Chinenyendo, ‘Hydrocarbon Pollution in the
Niger Delta: Geographies of Impacts and Appraisal of Lapses in Extant Legal
Framework’ <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0301420715000379
>
Odhiambo Odera, Albert H. S. Scott, Jeff Gow, ‘Community perceptions of Nigerian Oil
Companies Commitment to Social and Environmental Concerns’ <
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322240781_Community_perceptions_of_Nigeri
an_oil_companies_commitment_to_social_and_environmental_concerns>
Olufemi Obiomah, ‘Community Engagement Best Practices, Challenges, Benefits, and
Disadvantages in the Nigerian Setting with a Focus on the Role of Government or
Statutory Authority
<https://www.researchgate.net/publication/376379792_Community_Engagement_Best_P
ractices_Challenges_Benefits_and_Disadvantages_in_the_Nigerian_Setting_with_a_Foc
us_on_the_Role_of_Government_or_Statutory_Authority>
Paul Samuel Tamuno, ‘Corporate Social Responsibility in the Niger Delta: Past, Present
and Future Challenges’ <https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-african
law/article/abs/corporate-social- responsibility-in-the-niger-delta-past-presentanfuturechallenges/5DFAB354978795C5F581E1BD2F19A3AA>
‘Practical Guides for Communities, Civil Society and Local Government on Oil, Gas and
‘Rio Declaration on Environment and Development’
<https://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/migration/generalassembly/docs/gl
obalcompact/A_CONF.151_26_Vol.I_Declaration.pdf>
SDN Policy Brief, ‘Opportunities to Improve the Host Community Development Trusts
Under Nigeria’s Petroleum Industry Act’ <https://www.stakeholderdemocracy.org/wpcontent/uploads/2023/05/PIA-and-HCDT-Report.pdf>
The National Population Commission, ‘History of the Niger Delta’
<https://www.nigerdeltabudget.org/the-niger-delta/>
‘The Price of Oil: Corporate Responsibility and Human Rights Violations in Nigeria’s Oil
Producing Communities’
<https://www.refworld.org/reference/countryrep/hrw/1999/en/97545> accessed
The National Population Commission, ‘History of the Niger Delta’
<https://www.nigerdeltabudget.org/the-niger-delta/>
‘The Legality of Government Restrictive Compensation Under the Land Use Act (LUA)’
< https://oal.law/the-legality-of-government-restrictive-compensation-under-the-land-useact-lua/>
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC- LTD) < https://nnpcgroup.com/>
Titilayo Soremi, ‘The Implications Of Oil Theft On Social And Economic Development
In The Niger Delta’ Global Journal Of Social Sciences Vol 19, 2020: 1-11
Tom Ogwang, Frank Vanclay, ‘Social Impacts of Land Acquisition for Oil and Gas
Development in Uganda’ 2019, 8(7), 109
‘Universal Declaration of Human Rights’ <https://www.ohchr.org/en/universaldeclaration-of-human-rights>
‘UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights’
Wilson and Dawood, ‘When Foreign Interventions in Domestic Economy Leads to
Exploitation: A Case Study of Oil Production in Nigeria’s Niger Delta’
<https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/83099/1/MPRA_paper_83099.pdf
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
The author reserves the licence with little restrictions.https://kblsp.org,Ng/licence.
