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Countries Appendix NIGERIA (15.1%) Nigeria's execution of 8 environmental activists, notably Nobel Peace Prize nominee Ken Saro-Wiwa, made headlines in late 1995 and brought to light the serious environmental degradation of Nigeria. The Niger River delta of Nigeria is home to coastal rainforest, mangrove forest, the Ogoni tribesmen, and rich oil deposits. Petroleum exploration in this region by Shell Oil began in 1958 and Shell has since extracted over $30 billion worth of oil and natural gas. The native Ogoni have seen virtually no revenue from this profitable activity on their lands, but have seen plenty of pollution, deforestation, and bloodshed. Since their livelihood, in the form of fish and game has been impacted by drilling activities and deforestation, the Ogoni live in miserable poverty. A recent U.N. conference on Environment and Development named this delta the most threatened in the world. In 1990, Saro-Wiwa lead the Ogoni to demand that Shell turn over some oil revenues and clean up the oil pollution and toxic wastes remaining from their oil extraction. In response to these demands and an uprising among local communities, the military dictatorship sent in soldiers, allegedly armed by Shell oil, and savagely put down the rebellion. In November, 5 years later, the government executed Saro-Wiwa. Shell responded a few weeks later by announcing it would take part in a new huge gas project in the delta. Other oil companies that extract oil in Nigeria are Mobil, Chevron, and Texaco. Nigeria currently earns about $4.45 billion per year from oil, most of which is squandered, stolen, or spent propping up the ruling military government. Although Nigeria's suspended constitution stipulates that 13% of oil revenues must be channeled back into the oil communities, this does not happen. There is some optimism that the democratically elected government (in 1999) may make progress in reducing this corruption. Shell actually plays a much larger role in Ogoni community development than the government, spending some $36 million on community assistance programs in 1997. Villagers have learned that they can make more by spill compensation than marginal subsistence farming and attacks on oil facilities and pipelines are relentless. The role of oil in degrading the Niger Delta is probably overstated because oil operations are highly visible and villagers receive few benefits while shouldering the environmental and social costs (Moffat and Lindèn 1995). According to Moffat and Lindén (1995) there is relatively little evidence of widespread contamination from petroleum in Nigeria partly because it crude is very light and evaporates rapidly. Pollution from oil activities should probably be given only a moderate priority in light of Nigeria's other severe environmental problems, namely deforestation resulting from road projects (often sponsored by oil companies) and subsistence activities and dam construction. However, oil production in Nigeria does contribute to global warming because the country flares (flaring refers to the burning of excess gas that comes up with crude) more gas than any other country. The methane produced has a much higher global warming potential than carbon dioxide (64 times as active a greenhouse gas as carbon dioxide). Although the Nigerian government may spend as much as $500 million per year on environmental protection, the costs of annual environmental degradation are estimated to exceed $5 billion and the value of lost forest cover is estimated at over $750 M per year. Besides direct damages from oil pollution and open mining operations and clearing for agriculture like oil palm plantations, deforestation rates are high and have resulted in massive topsoil erosion and expanding desertification. Today virtually no primary forest exists in Nigeria except for a small section in Cross River park. The government recently granted a concession in the park, maybe spelling doom for more native species. Habitat loss has caused wildlife populations to plummet throughout Nigeria and many species are on the brink of extinction. Pollution, deforestation (loss of spawning habitats), and over-fishing may lead to a complete collapse of Nigeria's marine resources. The government's conservation strategy is to achieve a target of 25% forest cover, even though current forest reserve cover only about 10% of the country. The majority of this is savanna woodland, while less than 5% is rainforest in the south of they country. Nigeria aims to accomplish this ambitious goal through a ban on log exports, promoting of agroforestry and community-based conservation schemes, increasing energy and fuel efficiency, and encouraging plantations and reforestation programs. Since attaining independence, Nigeria has made swift economic development a priority without any regard for its environment. Unfortunately, this dangerous path may soon be followed by other developing sub-Sahara nations. |
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