The Niger Delta is the location of massive oil deposits,
which have been extracted for decades by the government of Nigeria and by
multinational oil companies. Oil has generated an estimated $600 billion since
the 1960s. Despite this, the majority of the Niger Delta’s population live in
poverty, with crumbling social infrastructure and services, high unemployment,
social deprivation, abject poverty, filth and squalor, and endemic conflict.
The majority of the people of the Niger Delta do not have adequate access to
clean water or health-care.
Their
poverty and its contrast with the wealth generated by oil, as become one of the
world’s starkest and most disturbing examples of the “resource curse”.
Government negligence has been worsened by massive environmental degradation
caused by oil spills. Oil spills have
destroyed farmlands, polluted ground and drinkable water, caused
drawbacks in fishing off the coastal waters and generally affected the sources
of livelihood and health of oil communities in Nigeria. There have been
continuous regional crises in the Niger Delta area as a result of oil spill
pollution of the coastal ecosystem.
People in the affected areas complain about health issues
including breathing problems and skin lesions; many have lost basic human
rights such as health, access to food, clean water, and an ability to work.
For this big concern, the Nigerian Youth Climate Action
Network alongside the Nigerian Youth Climate Coalition had a tweet-meet on
January 25, 2012. It started with a moment of prayer in memory of all those who
lost their lives in the Kano bomb blast.
The tweet-meet addressed various impacts of pollution and environmental damage
caused by the oil industry, human rights issues of the people living in the oil
producing areas, government actions/inaction and the role of the Nigerian youth
in protecting our ecosystem.
Hamzat Lawal and Esther Agbarakwe tweet-meet facilitators said the the goal was
to engage the government and demand more proactive actions while inspiring the
youth to become development actors in their communities.
Hon. Senator Bukola Saraki, Chair, Senate Committee on
Environment tweeted his commitment to work with
the Nigerian Youth CAN to solve this National problem affecting our
environment.
Nigerian environmentalists of all ages participated in the
tweet-meet with over 2000 tweets recorded. To find tweets, search
oilspillNG on twitter.
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| Esther Agbarakwe |
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| Hamzat Lawal |
Sources: Eco Nigeria
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