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The Role of Corporate Social Responsibility in Curbing Insecurity in Nigeria’s Niger Delta Region

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Chimoa Abuba discusses the Role of Corporate Social Responsibility in Curbing Insecurity in Nigeria’s Niger Delta Region

Image courtesy of interviewee. May 2, 2024

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This video video is a detailed account of Nigeria's complex journey towards nationhood since its independence in 1960. It highlights the challenges faced by the nation, including a devastating civil war, prolonged military rule, and ongoing issues of corruption and poor governance. Despite having abundant natural resources and a large population, Nigeria struggles with economic mismanagement and dependency on oil revenue.

Particular attention is given to the Niger Delta region, which is rich in oil but has suffered from environmental degradation and neglect due to governmental focus on oil rather than citizen welfare. The plight of the Niger Delta people, exacerbated by pollution and political marginalization, led to activism spearheaded by environmentalist Ken Saro-Wiwa and the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP). His efforts in the 1990s for environmental sustainability ultimately culminated in his execution, which escalated tensions and violence in the region, giving rise to the so-called "Niger Delta question," a significant concern regarding insecurity and local grievances against the government and multinational oil corporations. This video video underscores the struggles of the region and the broader implications for Nigeria's governance and social stability.

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Nigeria, as we know, has been on a very long,

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I'd say, torturous journey

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to nation building like every other

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country in Africa, right?

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In post-colonial Africa.

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Um, since its independence,

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from Britain in October, 1960,

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and then that journey, I'd say a journey to nationhood.

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Um, you know, it's, it's, it's a contested word,

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nationhood, but I can use it in my context here.

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Um, that journey to nationhood for Nigeria has been tested,

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I'd say, and marred by first a beat, a civil war,

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which lasted 30 months, claiming over 3 million lives,

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especially those of children.

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And then there's, there was, this slew of military cos

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and counter cos,

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and then about three decades of, military rule, right?

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But then Nigeria came out of the war, for instance

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and bout of military regimes with some promises, I'd say.

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Um, and not so much of a bleak future for one, it has

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varied, natural resources.

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We are, you know, very familiar with that.

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It has a large and dynamic human population.

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It has about 960 kilometers of shorelines.

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Um, an estimated 120,000, square kilometers

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of rivers and lakes.

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It has vast arable lands in excess of 30.5 million square.

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Um, and then I think that was the ninth largest in the world

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with a variety of livestock

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and, you know, agro friendly climates.

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So it is also the most populous black nation in the world.

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And, it has crude oil, right? Um, the liquid gold.

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So Nigeria came out of that war

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that beat a civil war, beaten.

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Um, but I say not really battered

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because it just, it was 1967 to 70,

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and the early 1970s was, the era of the oil boom.

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And Nigeria benefited immensely from that, oil boom,

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you know, emerging from the situation in the Middle East

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and the oil embargo from Arab countries.

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And Nigeria became, a sought

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after, you know, market for global crude.

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And it has a sweet crude with low suffering content,

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which made it very, you know,

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a rare one that many, people wanted.

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The quality of its crude is of the high quality.

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Um, and so the 1970s came

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and as this prospect, you know, for that journey

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to nationhood, to resume after the beat, a civil war.

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But then,

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what is generally known about leadership in Nigeria?

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Lack of patriotism, lack of political accountability.

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Um, no proper fiscal planning.

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Um, poor inclusive economic policies,

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ethnic bigotry and rivalry

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Among its leaders, and its people too.

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Um, all of these

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and more plunge the country's fortunes way, way below.

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Um, expectations so that even with, the emergence

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of civilian rule from 1999, for instance,

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the situation has hardly improved.

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Official corruption, excess consumption,

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and limited production in use, has meant

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that Nigeria not only depends on its dwindling oil revenue,

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but on important, you know,

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and sometimes basic commodities,

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which are mostly imported, right?

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Um, and because of the vagaries of global oil prices

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and increased import duties, most

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of these commodities are way out of the reach

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of regular Nigerians, right?

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Most of whom live, be below the poverty line,

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a teaming population of over 250 million people.

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So look at this background,

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and then consider it

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for the people in the Nigel Delta region.

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Um, the people who are the focus of my research in this,

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paper here, the site of the country's huge oil deposits,

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the situation is even worse.

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Um, because several decades

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of authoritarian regimes has meant

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that civic spaces were increasingly blood.

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Um, economic mismanagement has also meant

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that the direct environmental impact,

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of oil exploration such as oil spills, air

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and water pollution, et cetera, were left unattended.

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Um, because government did not consider itself accountable

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to the people, right?

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It depended on oil and not on taxes.

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So it was not like, it needed to, cater

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to popular welfare or, you know, development projects.

04:44.315 --> 04:47.135
So from the early 1990s, the n Nigeria Delta,

04:47.135 --> 04:50.815
people began to voice their frustrations over these

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political marginalization, as some of them called it,

04:54.535 --> 04:58.015
environmental degradation, loss of local livelihoods.

04:58.285 --> 05:00.375
They were mo they're mostly, fishing

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and farming communities.

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And with oil spills devastating farmlands and waterways

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and creeks, they could not farm or fish, right?

05:09.955 --> 05:11.735
Um, and so it's a natural thing to do

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to cry out about these.

05:13.715 --> 05:16.855
And they also complained about political marginalization.

05:17.555 --> 05:21.135
Um, so what the community, you know,

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where they have this, they had, this,

05:24.545 --> 05:27.955
very successful environmental activists, Ken Sara, we wewa.

05:28.145 --> 05:30.675
They took the initiative through,

05:31.795 --> 05:35.715
a community-based advocacy organization called Mossop.

05:35.815 --> 05:38.475
Um, the movement for the survival of the gon people.

05:38.895 --> 05:39.955
So through Mossop,

05:40.455 --> 05:45.075
Ken Wewa led his people from the early 1990s, 19,

05:45.135 --> 05:49.595
91, and then the agitation, quote unquote,

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Richards Peak in 1993 when he led a third 3000 man match

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against some of these, issues.

05:57.505 --> 06:00.845
But then, Sara's demand for,

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environmental sustainability

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and, you know, protection of the environment.

06:05.945 --> 06:08.445
And his people fell on deaf ears.

06:08.785 --> 06:10.205
And at the end of the day, two years

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after that campaign, he was killed.

06:12.065 --> 06:16.405
He was, you know, communities were sacked

06:16.425 --> 06:18.765
by the military regime of Sannia Bcha.

06:19.065 --> 06:21.045
That's a global, thing.

06:21.165 --> 06:23.285
I mean, it's, general information out there,

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but it's the realities, the lived experience

06:25.525 --> 06:26.805
of people in the Nigel Delta.

06:27.265 --> 06:31.795
So from the 19, late 1990s, Nigel Delta,

06:32.015 --> 06:34.315
demand for environmental sustainability

06:34.975 --> 06:38.675
and, you know, populists oriented policies

06:38.675 --> 06:41.235
that will cater to community, needs

06:41.335 --> 06:46.155
and aspirations became, a lot more combative.

06:46.695 --> 06:50.555
Um, because Sarah Wewa wanted something of,

06:51.535 --> 06:56.015
you know, something that is not, is not armed conflict.

06:56.115 --> 07:00.895
Um, he wanted to, pursue this from a civil perspective

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because he was working with the government too.

07:02.875 --> 07:06.375
He was a public servant in river state, so he was not trying

07:06.375 --> 07:08.255
to tear down the states or the country.

07:08.315 --> 07:11.215
He was just asking for what was due his people.

07:11.355 --> 07:15.975
But with his death, his murder in 1995, the complaint

07:15.975 --> 07:20.655
and the Niger data became, more of a combative, physical

07:21.185 --> 07:24.255
armed confrontation with, you know, between the youth

07:24.395 --> 07:27.375
and the government and multinational oil co,

07:27.375 --> 07:29.815
corporations, in the area.

07:29.995 --> 07:31.335
And that's what led to,

07:31.475 --> 07:34.215
and that's what created, what we now know

07:34.235 --> 07:35.855
as the Nigel Delta question.

07:36.075 --> 07:39.815
Um, the Nigel Delta question became a general concern about

07:39.875 --> 07:43.255
how to approach increasing insecurity in the Nigel

07:43.255 --> 07:44.415
Delta region.

07:44.575 --> 07:46.655
I don't know if that answered, your question

07:47.075 --> 07:49.095
or maybe I went a little bit overboard.

Nigeria's Journey to Nationhood: Challenges and Change

00:00:00 - Nigeria, as we know, has been on a very long, I'd say, torturous journey to nation building like every other country in Africa, right? In post-colonial Africa. since its independence, from Britain in October, 1960, and then that journey, I'd say a journey to nationhood. you know, it's, it's, it's a contested word, nationhood, but I can use it in my context here. that journey to nationhood for Nigeria has been tested,
00:00:36 - which lasted 30 months, claiming over 3 million lives, especially those of children. And then there's, there was, this slew of military cos and counter cos, and then about three decades of, military rule, right? But then Nigeria came out of the war, for instance and bout of military regimes with some promises, I'd say. and not so much of a bleak future for one, it has
00:01:07 - We are, you know, very familiar with that. It has a large and dynamic human population. It has about 960 kilometers of shorelines. an estimated 120,000, square kilometers of rivers and lakes. It has vast arable lands in excess of 30.5 million square. and then I think that was the ninth largest in the world with a variety of livestock and, you know, agro friendly climates.
00:01:39 - And, it has crude oil, right? the liquid gold. So Nigeria came out of that war that beat a civil war, beaten. but I say not really battered because it just, it was 1967 to 70, and the early 1970s was, the era of the oil boom. And Nigeria benefited immensely from that, oil boom, you know, emerging from the situation in the Middle East
00:02:10 - And Nigeria became, a sought after, you know, market for global crude. And it has a sweet crude with low suffering content, which made it very, you know, a rare one that many, people wanted. The quality of its crude is of the high quality. and so the 1970s came and as this prospect, you know, for that journey
00:02:41 - But then, what is generally known about leadership in Nigeria? Lack of patriotism, lack of political accountability. no proper fiscal planning. poor inclusive economic policies, ethnic bigotry and rivalry Among its leaders, and its people too. all of these and more plunge the country's fortunes way, way below. expectations so that even with, the emergence

Niger Delta: Struggles of Oil and Poverty

00:03:13 - the situation has hardly improved. Official corruption, excess consumption, and limited production in use, has meant that Nigeria not only depends on its dwindling oil revenue, but on important, you know, and sometimes basic commodities, which are mostly imported, right? and because of the vagaries of global oil prices and increased import duties, most of these commodities are way out of the reach
00:03:43 - Most of whom live, be below the poverty line, a teaming population of over 250 million people. So look at this background, and then consider it for the people in the Nigel Delta region. the people who are the focus of my research in this, paper here, the site of the country's huge oil deposits, the situation is even worse. because several decades of authoritarian regimes has meant
00:04:15 - economic mismanagement has also meant that the direct environmental impact, of oil exploration such as oil spills, air and water pollution, et cetera, were left unattended. because government did not consider itself accountable to the people, right? It depended on oil and not on taxes. So it was not like, it needed to, cater to popular welfare or, you know, development projects.
00:04:47 - people began to voice their frustrations over these political marginalization, as some of them called it, environmental degradation, loss of local livelihoods. They were mo they're mostly, fishing and farming communities. And with oil spills devastating farmlands and waterways and creeks, they could not farm or fish, right? and so it's a natural thing to do to cry out about these. And they also complained about political marginalization.
00:05:21 - where they have this, they had, this, very successful environmental activists, Ken Sara, we wewa. They took the initiative through, a community-based advocacy organization called Mossop. the movement for the survival of the gon people. So through Mossop, Ken Wewa led his people from the early 1990s, 19, 91, and then the agitation, quote unquote,
00:05:54 - against some of these, issues. But then, Sara's demand for, environmental sustainability and, you know, protection of the environment. And his people fell on deaf ears. And at the end of the day, two years after that campaign, he was killed. He was, you know, communities were sacked by the military regime of Sannia Bcha. That's a global, thing.

Niger Delta: Struggles for Environmental Justice

00:06:23 - but it's the realities, the lived experience of people in the Nigel Delta. So from the 19, late 1990s, Nigel Delta, demand for environmental sustainability and, you know, populists oriented policies that will cater to community, needs and aspirations became, a lot more combative. because Sarah Wewa wanted something of,
00:06:56 - he wanted to, pursue this from a civil perspective because he was working with the government too. He was a public servant in river state, so he was not trying to tear down the states or the country. He was just asking for what was due his people. But with his death, his murder in 1995, the complaint and the Niger data became, more of a combative, physical armed confrontation with, you know, between the youth
00:07:47 - corporations, in the area. And that's what led to, and that's what created, what we now know as the Nigel Delta question. the Nigel Delta question became a general concern about how to approach increasing insecurity in the Nigel Delta region. I don't know if that answered, your question or maybe I went a little bit overboard.

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