Nigerian Oil – where catastrophe is the norm

• Gulf of Mexico
• Nigeria
• oil spill
• Shell

By KenJul 27th, 2010

Creative Commons. Some rights reserved. Photo by Jenn Farr

The Deepwater Horizon explosion on April 20 and ensuing outpour of oil into the Gulf of Mexico has already become the worst environmental disaster in US history.

The proximity to the US, sheer amount of oil spilling into the ocean, effect on marine life and fisheries, and criticism of BP drilling and safety practices have ensured this has become one of the most covered news stories in recent years.

And rightly so. While this tragedy should never have happened in the first place, one thing we can do now is learn from our mistakes, and make sure such a disaster never repeats itself.

However, as we watch the evening news following the effort to plug the leak in the Gulf of Mexico, another, much worse disaster is happening in Nigeria.

Nigeria?

Yes, Nigeria.

Africa’s largest oil producing nation and supplier of 40% of crude oil imported to the US. Oil drilling in the Niger delta began in the 1950s, however years of military rule and political instability has meant that accidents and spills go largely unaccounted for, and locals receive nothing more than the toxic black glob that pollutes their water and destroyed their livelihoods.

John Vidal, environmental editor of the British paper Guardian, has researched and released a report which was republished in United Nations University website Our World 2.0 detailing the devastation that oil drilling is inflicting on Nigeria.

According to the report,

It is impossible to know how much oil is spilled in the Niger delta each year because the companies and government keep that secret. However two major independent investigations over the past four years suggest that as much is spilled at sea, in the swamps and on land every year as has been lost in the Gulf of Mexico so far.

Creative Commons. Some rights reserved. Photo by Sosialistisk Ungdom - SU

A community leader in Ibeno, site of a major oil spill in May this year testifies that

In the past two years, we have experienced 10 oil spills, and fishermen can no longer sustain their families.

Rusty pipes, some of which are 40 years old, are susceptible to rupturing and leaking, and outrage at oil companies’ lack of consideration for the local people has lead some rebel groups to attack pipe lines, causing even more oil to leak into the environment.

Despite the sheer scale of devastation caused by oil in Nigeria, it is given little coverage in the international media, and many locals can scarcely believe the contrast with the steps taken by BP and the US government to try to stop the Gulf oil leak, and protect the Louisiana shoreline from pollution.

If this Gulf accident had happened in Nigeria, neither the government nor the company would have paid much attention

laments writer Ben Ikari, a member of the Ogoni people.

This kind of spill happens all the time in the delta.

Shell, which works in partnership with the Nigerian government in the delta, insists that the majority of spills are caused by vandalism and sabotage. Furthermore a spokesman for Shell claims that

Sometimes communities do not give us access to clean up the pollution because they can make more money from compensation.

Vidal’s report reminded me of the Joe Berlinger documentary ‘Crude’, which follows the lawsuit against Chevron for decades of pollution caused from oil drilling in Ecuador.

As a developed nation, Japan is highly dependent on imported oil, and despite the scale of these disasters, little is known about them by the general public. However oil companies and biased media coverage are not the only ones to blame. This highlights a much larger issue of oil dependence, and the need for a shift towards a greener society. As one of the world’s largest oil consumers, there must be something we as Japanese can do to alleviate this global disaster.

Read the full report here.

This article was translated by Ken from the original Japanese post by Kenji Ishimura (JUN 28, 2010)