http://globalvoicesonline.org/2010/09/13/nigeria-oil-wealth-flows-hunger-persists/print/

Nigeria: Oil Wealth Flows, Hunger Persists

Posted By Juhie Bhatia On 13 September 2010 @ 18:36 pm In Agriculture,Development,English,Environment,Feature,Food,Industry,Nigeria,Sub-Saharan Africa,Weblog | 1 Comment

This post was commissioned as part of a Pulitzer Center/Global Voices Online series on Food Insecurity [1]. These reports draw on multimedia reporting featured on the Pulitzer Gateway to Food Insecurity [2] and bloggers discussing the issues worldwide. Share your own story on food insecurity here [3].
Niger Delta Oil Disaster [4]




Niger Delta Oil Disaster, Photo by Socialist Youth League of Norway on Flickr (CC-BY-ND)

As the BP oil spill in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and its aftermath continue to make headlines, the catastrophe has also brought a little global media attention to the oil-related woes in another country—Nigeria.

Africa's most populous country, Nigeria is among the 10 biggest exporters [5] of oil globally and the largest oil producer in Africa. Since oil was discovered off Nigeria's coast in the 1970s, it has become a major source of wealth. Oil accounts for 90 percent of Nigeria's exports [6] and over 80 percent of government revenue.

But these oil riches have not been accompanied by economic prosperity nor food security for the majority of the country's population. Earlier this year, preparations took place in northern Nigeria for anticipated food shortages [7], due to severe water shortages, plummeting livestock prices and rising grain costs. On his blog, Nigerian Joachim Ibeziako Ezeji, a sustainable development professional, elaborates on those impacted by these types of shortages [8].

    “Nigeria, a former agrarian nation, abandoned agriculture in the early 1980s when the government refocused the economy on oil exploration… Sadly, the bulk of this revenue is stolen by politicians and their cronies. The consequence is that today, according to the agriculture ministry, 91 million Nigerians representing 65 percent of the country's population are food insecure.”

Nigeria had a strong agricultural base before the oil boom, but throughout the years its big farms and plantations have been neglected. Journalist David Hecht, who wrote a series on the hunger crisis in Nigeria [9] supported by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, says that about 90 percent of Nigeria's agricultural output today [10] comes from inefficient small farms. Most farmers have little or no access to modern technology like fertilizers and irrigation. As a result, Nigeria has become one of the world's biggest importers of food staples, particularly rice and wheat. Even with these imports though, more than a quarter [11] of Nigerians younger than 5 suffer from malnutrition.

The country's oil industry, which is primarily located in the Niger Delta, has also become a source of conflict, corruption and human rights abuses. An Amnesty International report [12] released last year examined these consequences, as well as the environmental fallout from the industry.

The Deepwater Horizon [13] explosion earlier this year has also drawn attention to the environmental damage caused by oil spills, including spills in the Niger Delta. Some media report that more oil is spilled in the Niger Delta every year [14] than has been lost in the Gulf of Mexico. These spills cause pollution that severely affects surrounding communities by decreasing fish stocks and contaminating water supplies and arable land.

A post on the blog Niger Delta Unrest chronicles a protest last year [15] against the lack of action by Shell [16] and the Nigerian government following a large offshore spill. People from the affected community in Bodo spoke of their grievances:

    “They detailed how there was widespread hunger and thirst in the community: all the fish had been killed, the water contaminated, access to the creeks blocked and the ground-soil polluted and crops poisoned. One woman presented a meager basket of cassava meant to feed her family for a week. It was only enough for one person. Another woman pushed forward and said her eight year old son had died of hunger… A higher up in the Youth Council, the same one who had been interpreting, told of his frustrations and how he felt control slipping out of his hands. He said it was getting impossible to calm the youth in the town and that he was sure some of them would slip into militancy and armed action. ‘A hungry man is an angry man,’ he said.”

Randal Maurice Jelks, blogging on The Black Bottom Blog in the United States, says that people in Nigeria and the Gulf coast of Louisiana have more in common [17] than many would think:

    “For years, the state of Louisiana has permitted oil companies to have the loosest of regulation–a wink and a nod instead of enforced laws. As result many African Americans, like the Ogoni people of Nigeria, who live in the Gulf region have been most affected by what is called Cancer Alley. The pollutants from chemical and oil production have poisoned both their lands and bodies for years, like the Ogoni people these Black and poor people were ignored. The Louisiana state government like the Nigerian government left the oil companies to their own devices–laissez faire.”

An analysis in the Nigerian newspaper Vanguard by Peter Osadalor says that the World Bank coined the term “Nigerian Paradox” [18] specifically to describe the extreme underdevelopment and poverty in a country brimming with resources and potential. Bloggers have proposed various solutions to this paradox, from stricter regulation of oil companies [19] to better leadership [20] to decreasing reliance on imported crops [21].

Hecht, in his article series, says that even though Nigeria faces a serious food security threat, the country has enough fertile land to feed itself [9] and much of the region if its oil wealth is invested more wisely. Afolabi Taiwo Okunola, in a post submitted for a youth essay competition [22] on the Youngstars Foundation's blog, comes to a similar conclusion, saying that refocusing on agriculture is key [23]:

    “If the Nigerian government can be dedicated and devoted to the course of agricultural, many problems like inadequate supply of food, high expenses of the food supply will become outdated. The level of unemployment among Nigerian graduates will reduce because many graduates will be gainfully employed. In this vein, agricultural produce will increase because mechanized farming will be used and Nigerian exporting earnings will increase…The quest for power, gross looting of the national treasury by the greedy politicians will reduce to a certain extent because many people will realize that it is not only oil that can give a nation money but that agriculture too is important in that aspect. Therefore, the wicked struggle, killing and wanton destruction of lives and property in order to get to the position of authority in Nigeria will reduce. In a very short time, Nigeria will become a citadel in which other countries will have to come and learn from.”

Thanks to Eremipagamo Amabebe [24] for help finding Nigerian blogs.

Article printed from Global Voices in English: http://globalvoicesonline.org

URL to article: http://globalvoicesonline.org/2010/09/13/nigeria-oil-wealth-flows-hunger-persists/

URLs in this post:

[1] series on Food Insecurity: http://pulitzercenter.org/projects/global-voices-food

[2] Pulitzer Gateway to Food Insecurity: http://pulitzercenter.org/food-insecurity

[3] Share your own story on food insecurity here: http://pulitzercenter.org/share-your-story/8086

[4] Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sosialistiskungdom/4560583670/in/set-72157623938759668/

[5] 10 biggest exporters: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2176rank.html?countryName=Nigeria&countryCode=ni&regionCode=af&rank=7#ni

[6] 90 percent of Nigeria's exports: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2836.htm

[7] anticipated food shortages: http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=89759

[8] on those impacted by these types of shortages: http://joachimibeziakoezeji..com/2010/06/travails-of-nigerian-rice.html

[9] the hunger crisis in Nigeria: http://pulitzercenter.org/projects/africa/nigeria-oil-rich-hungry

[10] Nigeria's agricultural output today: http://pulitzercenter.org/articles/little-keeps-nigeria-crisis-hunger

[11] a quarter: http://www.globalhealthfacts.org/country.jsp?i=48&c=162&cat=4&sn=1

[12] Amnesty International report: http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/news/oil-industry-has-brought-poverty-and-pollution-to-niger-delta-20090630

[13] Deepwater Horizon: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deepwater_Horizon_oil_spill

[14] more oil is spilled in the Niger Delta every year: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/may/30/oil-spills-nigeria-niger-delta-shell

[15] a protest last year: http://nigerdeltaunrest..com/2009/03/bodo-community-report.html

[16] Shell: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Dutch_Shell

[17] people in Nigeria and the Gulf coast of Louisiana have more in common: http://theblackbottom.com/?p=5862

[18] the World Bank coined the term “Nigerian Paradox”: http://allafrica.com/stories/201007191601.html

[19] stricter regulation of oil companies: http://methodismadness..com/2010/05/effect-of-oil-spill-on-health.html

[20] better leadership: http://www.africanexecutive.com/modules/magazine/articles.php?article=5118

[21] decreasing reliance on imported crops: http://ojesweet..com/2008/05/global-food-crisis-and-nigerias.html

[22] youth essay competition: http://youngstars-foundation.org/blog/category/nigeria-pride-essay/

[23] refocusing on agriculture is key: http://youngstars-foundation.org/blog/agriculture-the-future-of-nigeria-as-a-leading-nation/

[24] Eremipagamo Amabebe: http://globalvoicesonline.org/author/eremipagamo-amabebe/

there is nothing new here.it is a well known fact that coming of oil changed our orientation.i wonder if it can be reversed.

This great geographical fraud called Nigeria.

thanks for this. i'm currently learning about international political economy which is giving me a great insight into how a successful economy can be run. the article is true - nigeria doesn't have (and shouldn't) just rely on the oil, but should protect its home industries such as agriculture and farming. nigeria could also have a booming tourism industry if only we had the right people in power. the country needs some serious and powerful change, but are nigerians ready to fight for it? that's the question

think i might do a post on this when i have more knowledge but until then do please check out my blog on nigerian politics and comment if you so wish. it's www.thenigerianarchive.. it has some wikileaks cables on nigeria, commentary, news and a few polls

^^^ According to reports, Nigeria DOES NOT rely ONLY ON OIL. Oil makes up less than 20%, so how come your research tells you Nigeria relies only on oil?

makes up less than 20% of what? and what reports are these? where did you get your figure from?

http://www.revenuewatch.org/our-work/countries/nigeria

oil makes up roughly 80% of the GON's revenue and most other sources will cite the same figures. what i am saying is that we need to work on home industries and manufacture what we can within the country. cutting down importation and putting some focus into infrastructure, agriculture and other neccesities is what nigeria needs to develop. when oil was discovered, the GON realised that oil was a relatively easy and quick way to line their pockets and the expense of the country. of course oil will remain the primary source of revenue, but oil alone will not make the country flourish

please read this wikipedia page too http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Nigeria (yes i know that wikipedia is not a textbook but it gives a fairly accurate overview in this case)

Read where it says that in 2000, oil accounted for more than 98% of export earnings and about 83% of federal government revenue. i doubt the figure has changed much in the last 10 years. now please tell me that they are not relying on oil!!