Every year, millions of dollars are literally going up in smoke in Nigeria, Africas top crude oil-exporting nation; companies infact usually burn off unwanted natural gas released during oil production. |
Every year, millions of dollars are literally going up in smoke in Nigeria, Africas top crude oil-exporting nation; companies infact usually burn off unwanted natural gas released during oil production. |
| Name of conflict: | Gas Flaring In Ebocha, Nigeria |
| Country: | Nigeria |
| State or province: | Rivers State |
| Location of conflict: | Ogba kingdom in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area |
| Accuracy of location | HIGH (Local level) |
| Type of conflict. 1st level: | Fossil Fuels and Climate Justice/Energy |
| Type of conflict. 2nd level: | Oil and gas exploration and extraction Gas flaring |
| Specific commodities: | Natural Gas Crude oil |
| Project details | According to the Nigerian Nation Petroleum Corporation annual Bulletin report (2010), Agip owns 15 oil wells in Ebocha, about 642,539 barrels of oil is produced and about 65% of associated gas is flared. |
| Type of population | Rural |
| Company names or state enterprises: | Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC) from Nigeria |
| Relevant government actors: | Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. |
| Environmental justice organizations (and other supporters) and their websites, if available: | Environmental Rights Action, Oilwatch Nigeria |
| Intensity | HIGH (widespread, mass mobilization, violence, arrests, etc...) |
| Reaction stage | Unknown |
| Groups mobilizing: | Farmers Indigenous groups or traditional communities Informal workers Landless peasants Neighbours/citizens/communities Social movements Trade unions Women Fisher people |
| Forms of mobilization: | Development of a network/collective action Involvement of national and international NGOs Land occupation Media based activism/alternative media Official complaint letters and petitions Street protest/marches Occupation of buildings/public spaces Appeals/recourse to economic valuation of the environment |
| Environmental Impacts | Visible: Air pollution, Biodiversity loss (wildlife, agro-diversity), Food insecurity (crop damage), Noise pollution Potential: Fires, Global warming, Loss of landscape/aesthetic degradation, Soil erosion, Oil spills, Surface water pollution / Decreasing water (physico-chemical, biological) quality |
| Health Impacts | Visible: Exposure to unknown or uncertain complex risks (radiation, etc…), Infectious diseases Potential: Deaths, Other environmental related diseases |
| Socio-economical Impacts | Visible: Loss of livelihood, Loss of traditional knowledge/practices/cultures, Loss of landscape/sense of place Potential: Violations of human rights, Land dispossession |
| Project Status | In operation |
| Conflict outcome / response: | Migration/displacement Negotiated alternative solution Under negotiation |
| Proposal and development of alternatives: | Agip and the Nigerian Government must put and end to gas flaring in Ebocha and other Niger Delta Communities. |
| Do you consider this an environmental justice success? Was environmental justice served?: | No |
| Briefly explain: | Despite complains from the community, Agip continues to flare gas in the area. Their operation has truncated the livelihoods of the local people, and diseases such as Asthma, Bronchitis, Cancer and other respiratory track diseases are wide spread in the area, and adjourning communities. |
| References to published books, academic articles, movies or published documentaries |
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| Other comments: | Oil is a mainstay of Nigerias economy, and the government acknowledges that the oil industry still flares 24 billion cubic meters of gas a year, enough to power a good portion of Africa for a whole year. Despite its oil wealth, Nigeria itself suffers chronic energy shortages. The gas is often burned right next door to homes that dont have electricity, and while theres a local market for the natural gas vented during oil production, its less profitable than crude oil. Critics warn that not enough is being done to put out flares or save gas that could be harvested and used within the country. |
| Contributor: | Nnimmo Bassey |
| Last update | 18/08/2019 |
| Conflict ID: | 565 |