Oil Spill: а Deterrence to Regional Development of the Niger Delta Region

Regional development is a process of a regional system that is focused on building a dynamic parameters for quality life of the regional population, with sustainable, balanced and multi-factorial reproduction of social, economic resource and environmental potentials of the territory. It aims at utilizing the development potentials of the region to attract inward investment, improve human development and living conditions of the population. This noble aim of regional development has fallen short of its goals in the Niger delta region of Nigeria. This is largely because of unsustainable oil exploration and production activities in this region. Nigeria economy depends on oil revenue for national income and foreign exchange earnings. The source of this wealth is the Niger Delta region of the country. One of the devastating effects of oil exploration and production in the Niger delta is oil spill. Oil spills are recurrent problems with serious consequences both on the human life and ecosystem vitality. For decades, oil spills have devastated the environment of the fertile Niger-Delta. The resultant effect is the decline of agriculture – farming and fishing, forest resources and other money yielding natural resources The constant pollution and contamination of underground water and other water bodies have resulted increase of health problems. Poverty and unemployment are on the high rate. Oil spill has indeed remained an obstacle to development of this region. The aim of this paper therefore is to highlight the development deterring and eco-destructive effects of oil spill on the Niger delta region with the aim to suggesting ways of improvement.