National security, issued in response to the nigerdelta crisis. The crisis in the niger delta is multifaceted and has reared its ugly head through pipeline vandalisation, formation of militant groups, attacks on oil companies and oil installations, kidnapping and hostage taking of oil workers, environmental degradation, piracy, insurgency, ethnic conflict, armed struggle, and confrontation with security. This observation came on the heels of incessant crisis which the region have been witnessing for decades but which took alarming dimension in loosing years. The resolution of the crisis in the niger delta cannot be done outside the niger delta and its people. Nigerias restive niger delta region has stayed relatively calm for four years, but how stable is the peace. The denial of the people of the oil producing communities of akwa ibom state and the nigerdelta in general of their rights and privileges by the oil and gas transnational corporations operating in. The denial of the people of the oil producing communities of akwa ibom state and the niger delta in general of their rights and privileges by the oil and gas trans national corporations operating in the region has. The conflict in the niger delta region of nigeria has become global as it is wont to, given the fact that the major actors in the crisis are transnational the multinational oil corporations play very critical and fundamental roles in the crisis as. Security still a challenge in niger delta shell vanguard news. This paper examines oil and security in nigeria, with special reference to the crisisravaged niger delta. Its impact on nigerians national security chapter one introduction 1. The paper sought to identify the plethora of security challenges confronting nigeria with specific emphasis on the niger delta crises, kidnapping in the southeast geo. The niger delta crisis ndc has been in existence before the amalgamation of all the protectorates that formed nigeria. Nigeria is confronted by multiple security challenges, notably the resilient boko haram islamist insurgency in the north east, longrunning discontent and militancy in the niger delta, increasing violence between herders and farming communities spreading from the central belt southward, and separatist biafra agitation in the igbo south east.
Put differently, while social and relative deprivation is. Insecurity, a threat to national development project. The niger delta region is the nerve of the nigerian economy. The niger delta crisis poses serious and enduring threat to the fragile nature of nigerian democracy and the ever volatile national security ekumaoko, 20. Niger delta crises, the federal government recently introduced the policy of amnesty to militants as the solution to the niger delta crises. It contains, for example, as much or more oil and gas riches as the persian gulf, and experts predict that within 15 years it could be the sight of 25 percent of global production. The federal government will support the people of the niger delta and all men and women of goodwill in its efforts to bring smiles on the faces of all citizens that are dependent on the fortunes of the region. The research instrument was a self designed questionnaire named a. In 2002, an international observation proclaimed the niger delta as one of the most volatile regions of the world. It uncovers how shells routine payments to armed militants exacerbated conflicts, in one case leading to the destruction of rumuekpe town where it is estimated that at least 60 people were killed. This paper examined the nature of internal security problems of african states using nigeria as a case study. The world has long seen nigeria as a nonstable economy and a sinkhole that could swallow their investment. Pdf understanding the niger delta crisis within the. Niger delta crises and national security in nigeria.
Apr 22, 2011 while the 2007 national election was the first chance for the nigerian people to democratically elect a civilian government the outcomes of elections in 1999 and 2003 were preordained legacies of the military dictatorship, it was the first chance for residents of the niger delta also called the southsouth zone, one of the countrys six. Ogoni crisis accounting for the escalation of the crisis. Crisis groups first report on the niger delta examined the historical and societal underpinnings of the growing insurgency. National security, international terrorism, globalization, niger delta militancy, boko haram insurgency introduction one of the fundamental responsibilities of the state is to ensure the security of the life and property of its citizens. The apparent challenge of insurgency, terrorism, arm trafficking, ethnic crisis, arm robbery etc constitute a great threat to security and national development. The research proffers a conceptual and theoretical investigation on insecurity a threat to national development. Implications on nigerias domestic economic output akinbobola, t. The study assessed the amnesty programme which is basically a disarmament, demobilization and reintegration ddr to the niger delta militants and effect on national security. Niger delta crisis at every point in time have threatened the primacy responsibility of the government in terms of security of lives and properties and the preservation of oneness of nigeria as a single political entity. Since its inauguration, the nddc has focused on the development of social and physical infrastructures, ecologicalenvironmental remediation and human. As the nations treasure base, the niger delta provides over 80 percent of government revenues, 95 percent of export. Securityinsecurity is defined in relation to vulnerabilities, both internal and external, that threaten to have the potential to. Causes, origins and dimensions the niger delta region covers an area of about 75 000 km 2 in landmass and is located in the southernmost region of nigeria.
It is africas and the worlds third largest mangrove. In an attempt to solve the niger delta crises, the federal government recently introduced the policy of amnesty to militants as the solution to the niger delta crises. Because the nigerian government has proven incapable of solving this problem, the time is now for the international community especially the united states of america to step in. The niger delta region of nigeria is oilrich and security poor. Based on interviews with a wide range of stakeholders, this report assesses the 2009 federal amnesty program for local militants, a central part of the nigerian governments security policy in the region. This paper examines oil and security in nigeria, with special reference to the crisis ravaged niger delta. Crisis in the niger delta 5 the most pressing development needs are for better roads, water transport, power, and telecommunications.
Insurgency and national security challenges in nigeria. It examines the often hazy overlap between the militant niger delta cause and criminal and political motives, and identifies the steps required to defuse the conflict. Causes of conflicts in the niger delta region of nigeria as. Towards ending conflict and insecurity in the niger delta. A systematic analysis of the crisis is informed by my intention to identify the changing dynamics of what constitutes national security over the years and how the nation state of nigeria have been contending with the threat which the niger delta crisis is posing to the so called national security. Introduction a crisis is a change either sudden or evolving that results in an urgent problem that must be addressed immediately harvard business essential. Insecurity, a threat to national development project topics. Report of the technical committee on the niger delta julius. At the root of the conflict are structural factors that keep the state weak and fragmented. Militia uprising in the niger delta and its implications for national security matthew olusola ojo peace studies and conflict resolution, school of arts and social sciences, national open university of nigeria, lagos, nigeria abstract intractable violence has invariably constituted an enduring image of the niger delta region of nigeria. Militia uprising in the niger delta and its implications. The niger delta child and the future of national integration in nigeria. National security strategy development nigeria case study.
After this, the niger delta environmental survey was set up in 1995, followed by the niger delta development commission, established in 2000 by president olusegunobasanjo with a vision to offer. National security and development in nigeria article pdf available in african journal of business management 623. The report implicates shell in cases of serious violence in nigerias oilrich niger delta region from 2000 to 2010. Ending unrest in the niger delta crisis group africa report n5, 5 december 2007 page ii 2. Securityinsecurity is defined in relation to vulnerabilities, both internal and external, that threaten to have the potential to bring down or. Oil exploration and security challenges in the nigerdelta. The study is particularly important at such a time of nigerias history. The nature of internal security problems in african states.
This study presents an overview of nigerias national security strategy process and security architecture by examining the following. The niger delta is an unstable area of nigeria, and interethnic clashes are common often access to oil revenue is the trigger for the violence. Against this backdrop, the recent centre for strategic and international. Studies on the niger delta crisis have largely neglected emphasizing the centrality of ecological under currents and attendant depravations in the crisis folarin, 2006.
Crude oil is an important material input in the production of goods and services. Checkmating the resurgence of youth militancy in the niger. The niger delta crisis is not only a national problem. The conflict in the niger delta region and national interest segun ogungbemi 11.
Stop all attempts to divide and coopt armed militants by offering contracts and appointments to leaders and instead encourage them to create and articulate a common and realistic political agenda. Militia uprising in the niger delta and its implications for. Its focus on the niger delta and its festering crisis stems from that regions critical. The complexity of the niger delta crisis and national security will make its analysis from a purely contemporary perspective to be inadequate, it is in the light of this, that the niger delta crisis is traced from the 19 th century when the numerous citstates in the region were at longer head with one another over the control of production and.
After severe fighting, the city was razed to the ground. While the 2007 national election was the first chance for the nigerian people to democratically elect a civilian government the outcomes of elections in 1999 and 2003 were preordained legacies of the military dictatorship, it was the first chance for residents of the niger delta also called the southsouth zone, one of the countrys six. Its focus on the niger delta and its festering crisis stems from that regions critical importance to nigeria. The niger delta region of nigeria is oilrich and securitypoor. Crises in nigerdelta had been characterized by extreme violence, militarization, unemployment and environmental pollution. The region has witnessed series of conflicts largely due to the oil resources therein. The niger delta is one of the numerous parts of the country which have enjoyed considerable academic attention, scholars from different intellectual and academic persuasions have carried out research on different aspect of the history. The study assessed the amnesty programme which is basically a disarmament, demobilization and reintegration ddr to the niger delta militants and effect on. As earlier mentioned, the phenomenon of ethnicity and religious intolerance have led to incessant recurrence of ethnoreligious conflicts, which have birthed copious ethnic militias like the bakassi boys, odua people congress opc, the egbesu boys. Monday uijiakhien okojie abstract the frequency of conflicts. There is a limit to which people will endure abuse, exploitation and rape. Niger delta militancy and the challenge of criminalising.
News of these actions, following conflictridden national elections, has reinforced the notion that nigeria and the new west african gulf states in general are matters of u. Security and stabilisation policy for the niger delta recommendations for the way forward by nextier advisory and stakeholder democracy network 2 the underlying causes of the conflict in the niger delta region are complex. Aug 01, 2017 a nigerian newspaper and online version of the vanguard, a daily publication in nigeria covering nigeria news, niger delta, general national news, politics, business, energy, sports, entertainment. Violence, particularly by the boko haram insurgency. Consequently, nigerias oil production which dropped from 2. Us foreign policy and the niger delta conflict pambazuka news. If significant progress could be made on these fronts, much of the sense of injustice and marginalization on the part of the delta population would be assuaged. Violent militancy in the niger delta assumed a new dimension in the mid nineties as the residents demanded resource control in the face of environmental degradation by multinational oil companies. Nwogwugwu, ngozi, alao olatunji emmanuel and egwuonwu, clara abstract the niger delta region of nigeria, reputed to be one of the most richly endowed deltas in the world, contributes about 80% of nigerias national wealth. The governmentsponsored amnesty programme for militants disrupting oil production in the niger delta region of nigeria has resulted in relative peace in the area.
In march and april 2003, militancy across the niger delta radically disrupted oil production in this major oil supplier nation. Conflict expert group baseline report, december 2003. The niger delta crisis, as the world has now realised, will not soon go away. The niger delta development commission nddc was established in 2000 by president olusegun obasanjo with the sole mandate of developing the petroleumrich niger delta region of southern nigeria. This observation came on the heels of incessant crisis which the region have been witnessing for decades. Arms proliferation has increased criminality, youth violence, hostage taking, militancy, community crises, drug abuse, oil bunkering and threat to peace and security in nigeria. Crises in niger delta had been characterized by extreme violence, militarization, unemployment and environmental pollution.
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