Environmental Impact of Oil and Gas Exploration on Livelihoods in Nigeria’s Eastern Obolo: Exploring the People's Rights to Fair Compensation

Abstract

This paper explores how adequate are oil and gas companies to compensate the damage done by their oil exploration. The study is based extensively on primary fieldwork in local host communities in the oil-producing areas of Eastern Obolo in Rivers State, Nigeria drawing on the experiences and perceptions of 31 community heads, Chief fishermen, youth leaders, the chairman of the Eastern Obolo Community Relations Committee (CRC), the paramount chief and sub-chiefs, and Community Relations Managers of Oil Companies. The average age of participants was 37 years. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with key informants using in-depth interview techniques to gather the needed data. Our results show that distributive and procedural justice and people’s rights to self-determination and fair compensation have been compromised in policy initiatives. Harmonising layers of critical laws, including the enforcement of social and environmental protection, must remain a priority though challenges inherent in the legal framework regulating compensation go beyond the impacts of social and environmental governance.

Keywords:

• environmental impact
• oil and gas
• compensation
• distributive justice
• Nigeria

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Obed Adonteng-Kissi

Dr Obed Adonteng-Kissi is a Lecturer in Social Work at the School of Allied Health, Australian Catholic University and a member of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW). A strong focus of his current work has been on the rights of the child vis-à-vis child labour; human rights perspective in social work practice with immigrants in Australia; developmental impact of rural and communal conflicts; enhancing economic, social and environmental outcomes for land-connected people impacted by mining. The strength of his research stems from direct engagement with rural and urban populations; stakeholders; the mining industry; mine-affected communities.

Benson R. Oke

Dr Benson R. Oke is a Lecturer at the Department of Mass Communication, Obong University, Nigeria. His research interests include public relations; advertising; climate change, communication, development communication and community development. Dr Benson R. Oke holds a PhD in Mass Communication from the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

Nnaemeka Chidiebere Meribe

Dr Nnaemeka Chidiebere Meribe is holds a PhD in Strategic Communication from La Trobe University, Australia. Currently an adjunct research fellow in the same university, his research interests encompass media and climate change, media and disability, health promotion/communication, new media and society as well as political economy of communication, communication for development and Indigenous African Communication Systems.

Desmond Tutu Ayentimi

Dr Desmond Tutu Ayentimi is Associate Fellow Higher Education Academy and a Lecturer in Management at the Tasmanian School of Business and Economics, University of Tasmania, Hobart. He holds a PhD in Management from Curtin University, Western Australia. His research is multi-disciplinary that focuses on institutional and cultural constraints and opportunities in HRM practice transfer to less developed and developing economies in Sub-Saharan Africa. His research interests include Multinational Enterprises HRM, technology and employment relations, cross cultural management and HRD in sub-Saharan Africa. He has published several research papers in reputable international journals including Thunderbird International Business Review, Technology Analysis & Strategic Management, Personnel Review, International Journal of Cross-Cultural Management, Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, Human Resource Development International, among others.