THE UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME (UNEP) ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT IN ASSISTING NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT ON SOLVING OGONILAND OIL CONTAMINATION (2009-2011)

Abstract

The abundance of oil resources in the heart of Niger Delta, Nigeria, is not bringing the prosperity for the people. Since crude oil was found in Niger Delta, many corporations are interested to open their oil industry operations. Seeing this opportunity, Federal Government of Nigeria is making oil industry operations as one of the country’s major economics supports. Billion barrels of oil could produced in the Niger Delta without concerning the future consequences As one of the best oil productions area in Niger Delta, Ogoniland has become the victim of all these oil operations for the sake of economics. The oil industry operations which take place in Ogoniland where many indigenous people live are having major environmental issue. Since the oil industries never stop on producing as the demand of oil will always be there, the Ogoniland condition is really heartbreaking. The oil industries with so many sites of drilling and hundreds of kilometers of pipelines are operating is not aligned with the awareness of the corporations to uphold the environment in the surroundings. The negligence has shown by many occurrences of oil spills in Ogoniland. The oil spills from the oil industry operations bring harm towards the environment and the wellbeing of the people of Ogoni. It contaminates their water, land, vegetation, fisheries, and river. It affects the live of the local people; they do not have proper clean water for daily use since the groundwater had been contaminated by the oil spill. The environmental degradation of Ogoni was severe and the health of Ogoni people is being harmed. In accordance to the huge environmental degradation, the government could not act alone to tackle the issue without the help from other stakeholders. As the request, UNEP was being there in Ogoni to assist Nigerian Government in order to have proper environmental assessment. The assessment was done by UNEP since they have the capability to tackle environmental issues. It will be a hope for the people of Ogoni to have the live they deserves as common human being who have access to clean water, land, and environment. Nigerian Government believes that the environmental assessment done by UNEP will be their basis in order to have future plan of Ogoni environmental clean-up.