Background

The Niger Delta region is home to over 31 million people from more than 40 ethnic groups (Babatunde, 2023), as well as being a biodiversity hotspot, accommodating many endangered and endemic species in its vast swamp and mangroves forests (Ansah et al., 2022). For decades, the area has faced exploitation of its oil resources by multinational companies, where the extraction of oil and gas flaring have transformed from being a potential blessing to a profound curse (Ansah et al., 2022). Indigenous communities have faced injustices, particularly regarding the distribution of benefits and the exclusion of local communities from the decision-making process in regards to oil extraction and gas flaring (Mateos, 2021). Furthermore, this blog will analyse the oil extraction in the Niger Delta through a distributive and procedural justice lens.

Distributive Justice in the Niger Delta

Environmental injustice is commonly understood through the frameworks of distributive and procedural justice (Karmakar, 2023). Walker and Day (2012) emphasise distributive justice as the fair distribution of both benefits and burdens in society. One can better understand the injustices, that those living in the Niger Delta have faced over several decades, by looking at the issues through a distributive justice lens. This concept is essential to understand the deep inequalities that have shaped the region. For example, despite the vast wealth that oil production has generated, with Delta production giving $350 billion to Nigeria since the 1970s, it has brought little economic or social benefit to common citizens of the country (Karmakar, 2023). This distributive injustice has stemmed from a history of resource mismanagement and exploitation, following the discovery of oil in the Niger Delta on a commercial level in 1956. While multinational companies and government elites reap the financial rewards of the lucrative industry; the local communities, where extraction occurs, have had to face the environmental and social impacts, such as oil spills, polluted water sources as well as degraded soils and farmlands (Mateos, 2021). These impacts have had profound effects on local livelihoods, especially fishing and agriculture, of which originally sustained the region. As a result, the Niger Delta’s residents face chronic poverty and deteriorating infrastructure despite the immense resources extracted from their land (Mateos, 2021). This example clearly displays the scale of distributive injustice as a result of oil extraction in the region, addressing these injustices requires a restructuring of resource allocation to prioritise the needs of local communities.

Procedural Justice in the Niger Delta

On the other hand, Karmakar (2023) states that procedural justice ‘entails unequal opportunities for individuals to participate in the formulation of policies and decision-making processes’. Ethnic groups in the Niger Delta face procedural injustices (Kamarkar, 2023), such as the Itsekiri, Ijaw, and Urhobo, who have expressed frustration over their exclusion from key negotiations and benefit sharing arrangements (Folami, 2022). For example, the Itsekiri have accused the government and oil companies like Shell and Chevron of favouring other groups, particularly by allocating contracts and appointments without properly considering the Itsekiri’s involvement and needs (Folami, 2022). Subsequently, these groups have stated that they often feel side-lined in decisions that have direct impacts their lives. According to Folami (2022), many local leaders also argue that their communities are frequently left out of decision-making, despite being affected by the conflict and environmental degradation. This exclusion highlights the procedural justice gap, where the voices of marginalised groups are not sufficiently heard, and decisions are made with inadequate consultation. The lack of transparency and inclusivity in negotiations result in a distribution of benefits that exacerbate inequities, because oil companies tend to engage with those already in power, further separating the less powerful communities (Folami, 2022; Karmakar, 2023). This systemic injustice highlights the need for a more inclusive and transparent decision-making process that values the participation of all ethnic groups, ensuring that their concerns are valued and addressed.

Bibliography

• Ansah, Christabel Edena, et al. “Environmental Contamination of a Biodiversity Hotspot—Action Needed for Nature Conservation in the Niger Delta, Nigeria.” Sustainability, vol. 14, no. 21, 1 Nov. 2022, p. 14256, https://doi.org/10.3390/su142114256.
• Babatunde, Abosede Omowumi. “Oil Exploitation and Food Insecurity in Nigeria’s Niger Delta.” The Journal of Modern African Studies, vol. 61, no. 2, 1 June 2023, pp. 165–187, www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-modern-african-studies/article/abs/oil-exploitation-and-food-insecurity-in-nigerias-niger-delta/1BE70F788DB8CEEF6EC724C5DC68E7A2, https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022278X23000010.
• Folami, Olakunle Michael. “Distributive Justice Narratives among Different Ethnic Groups in the Niger Delta Post-Conflict Peacebuilding Processes.” Athens Journal of Law, vol. 8, no. 2, 31 Mar. 2022, pp. 135–156, https://doi.org/10.30958/ajl.8-2-3. Accessed 11 Apr. 2022.
• Goutam Karmakar. “Living with Extraction: Environmental Injustice, Slow Observation and the Decolonial Turn in the Niger Delta, Nigeria.” International Social Science Journal, 20 Nov. 2023, https://doi.org/10.1111/issj.12480.
• Mateos, Oscar . “Understanding Niger Delta’s Violence from a World-Ecology Perspective - Revista de Estudios En Seguridad Internacional.” Revista de Estudios En Seguridad Internacional, 16 June 2021, dx.doi.org/10.18847/1.13.4.
• Walker, Gordon, and Rosie Day. “Fuel Poverty as Injustice: Integrating Distribution, Recognition and Procedure in the Struggle for Affordable Warmth.” Energy Policy, vol. 49, Oct. 2012, pp. 69–75, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2012.01.044.