Shell Oil Crisis Nigeria
Adam Oufkir
3/26/12
Nigeria: Shell Oil Crisis
In the early 20th century Britain colonized Africa and created false borders through out the continent. The creation of such false countries as Nigeria caused the grouping of people that didn’t get along well. This action by Britain caused severs instabilities in the country of Nigeria. This may have made the country unstable at first but now the problem is caused by Shell. The problem in Nigeria is not caused currently on going not because of imperialism but because of the corruption in the government. The corruption in the government can be seen trough issues like the Niger Delta region not having any representation in the Nigerian government. This is a major issue because the Niger Delta is the region where 100% of the countries oil is mined. This lack of representation makes the plights of that region unheard. The people who are most affected by the oil mining are the ones who are the least heard. Nigerians’ elite is the reason for the crisis in oil rich Nigeria. The corrupt elite siphon off much of the nations oil wealth for their own personal use leaving very little to be used for health services or education. Since the Nigerian government isn’t keeping tract of how much oil it exports the corrupt individuals are able to the part of the profit for them selves with great ease. This is a very prominent problem in Nigeria, which is why it is one of the most corrupt countries in the world. Not much is being done to combat this rampant corruption and that can be plainly seen in the countries poverty.
The Nigerian Government isn’t the only ones to be blamed though. Shell is the company who is mining for oil in Nigeria and is to blame for the constant oil spills that damage the ecosystem, as well as all around pollution of the region. The constant oil spills in Nigeria have made the water undrinkable. Shell’s carelessness has lead to hundreds of oil spills in the Niger Delta region. On December 22, 2011 one
3/26/12
Nigeria: Shell Oil Crisis
In the early 20th century Britain colonized Africa and created false borders through out the continent. The creation of such false countries as Nigeria caused the grouping of people that didn’t get along well. This action by Britain caused severs instabilities in the country of Nigeria. This may have made the country unstable at first but now the problem is caused by Shell. The problem in Nigeria is not caused currently on going not because of imperialism but because of the corruption in the government. The corruption in the government can be seen trough issues like the Niger Delta region not having any representation in the Nigerian government. This is a major issue because the Niger Delta is the region where 100% of the countries oil is mined. This lack of representation makes the plights of that region unheard. The people who are most affected by the oil mining are the ones who are the least heard. Nigerians’ elite is the reason for the crisis in oil rich Nigeria. The corrupt elite siphon off much of the nations oil wealth for their own personal use leaving very little to be used for health services or education. Since the Nigerian government isn’t keeping tract of how much oil it exports the corrupt individuals are able to the part of the profit for them selves with great ease. This is a very prominent problem in Nigeria, which is why it is one of the most corrupt countries in the world. Not much is being done to combat this rampant corruption and that can be plainly seen in the countries poverty.
The Nigerian Government isn’t the only ones to be blamed though. Shell is the company who is mining for oil in Nigeria and is to blame for the constant oil spills that damage the ecosystem, as well as all around pollution of the region. The constant oil spills in Nigeria have made the water undrinkable. Shell’s carelessness has lead to hundreds of oil spills in the Niger Delta region. On December 22, 2011 one