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THE POLITICS OF GAS FLARING IN NIGERIA NIGER-DELTA  

AND THE NEGATING CONTOURS: THE BASIS OF THE LOOMING CRISIS 

 

Okechukwu, Groupson-Paul UC. PhD  

              groupsonpaul@yahoo.com 

                                    Federal University Ndufu Alike Ikwo (FUNAI),  

         Abakaliki – Ebonyi State, Nigeria 

  
Abstract 

Nigeria flares 180bn cm of natural gas per year in relation to the exploration of crude oil in the 

Niger Delta. This gas flaring expends huge amounts of energy and causes environmental 

pollution, degradation and disease that is also prone to climate change with a huge implication 

to development and economic gains. The study tries to link oil exploration and exploitation 

trajectory as a cause of numerous environmental, health and social problems of the oil producing 

communities. The political intrigues show lack of sincerity in the management of the situation 

posed by the flaring. This study, utilizes primary and secondary data from a key informants drawn 

from the communities. Analytical, historical and descriptive approaches with quantitative and 

qualitative methods were used in the investigation. The study revealed that carbon monoxide 

level of ambient air exists in many communities. The study finds out that the reduction of gas 

flaring can improve human health conditions. The work observed that Nigerian loss huge fund 

for not making earnings from the wasted gas, therefore affecting the economy.  The study finds 

that local livelihood in the Niger Delta had been totally decimated. The study is of the view that 

there should be a shift from flaring the associated gas to collecting it for use as a gaseous fuel 

and for electricity generation.   The study suggests a viral economic and energy initiatives that 

would integrate all efforts and policies towards promoting development and improve the life of 

the people in the Nigerian project. 

 

 Key Words: Pollution, Climate Change, Gas Flaring, Global Warming, Politics        

                    Black Cloud, Political Intrigues, Environmental Degradation. 

 

INTRODUCTION 

Nigeria, an oil producing state among 

the nations of OPEC, whose natural 

endowment had turned out to make her 

an energy power house with huge wealth 

in the Sub-Saharan Africa. The sixth 

(6th) oil producing country in the world, 

the largest economy in the continent, 

whose wealth and riches had not march 

the desires and yearn aspirations of her 

citizens’ wants and expectation due to 

some avalanche of problems like 

lopsided economy, quasi – authoritarian 

federal structure, ethnic chauvinism, 

hyper – corruptions dossier, poor 

leadership and the willful neglects of the 

teeming mass public, that invariably 

implicates and showcase the attributes of 

a failed human capital and 

infrastructural development state.  

 

According to investigation, oil 

production has been ongoing in Nigeria 

 

mailto:groupsonpaul@yahoo.com


 

 

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Okechukwu, Groupson-Paul UC. 

for more than 56 years together with the 

flaring of natural gas. But unfortunately, 

the devastation of this waste gas had 

never been brought to the fore. Reasons 

being that the perpetrators and allies had 

been shielded in a political hocus – 

pocus paradigm of primitive 

accumulation and interest aggregations. 

Thus, Chijoke (2002:1) aptly argued that 

understanding why this unsustainable 

practice has lasted for such a long time 

in the country entails the unraveling of 

the dynamics of the political influence of 

the multinational corporations over 

natural resources management in 

developing countries like Nigeria. The 

influences of this multinational 

corporation do not eliminate the political 

intrigues of government official and the 

elites within the circuit of the racket in 

Niger-Delta oil deals (Douglas, 1995). 

 

Agreed that Nigeria is endowed with 

quiet a number of natural resources as 

well as human resources, of which some 

of the key resources found in the 

Nigerian environment are limestone, 

bauxite, bronze, oil and gas, copper, 

natural forest and resources such as wild 

life amongst others. Unfortunately, 

among these enormous resources, only 

crude oil is being harness over the years.  

There are also a lot of petroleum 

products being derived from this crude, 

amongst, which are the premier motor 

spirit (P.M.S) the diesel (Agro), 

kerosene (DPK) low poor fuel oil (Lpfo) 

high poor fuel oil (Hpfo), methyl, 

Vaseline jelly, benzene ethanoate, and 

methylated spirits amongst others.  

 

Gas resources in the same vein has been 

in its large quantity of over 40trillion 

cubic feet as Nigerian reserves, begging 

for exploitation and proper utilization.  

Its existing quantity had also caused gas 

flaring over the years with the attendant 

effect on the immediate environment 

where the resources are located (Niger 

Delta). Nowhere in the world have 

communities been subjected to gas 

flaring on such a scale as witnessed in 

Nigeria Niger-Delta region.  It is 

estimated that the cost of volume of gas 

in Nigeria worth over US$2.5 billion 

annually whilst the roaring, toxic flares 

affect the health and livelihood of Delta 

inhabitants.  Equating this to an 

estimated 66% of the people that live 

below poverty line, who are also the 

sufferers of this environmental 

degradations and diseases, puts the 

country at high risk of being under 

severances and disaster prone state. 

Although, arguments had arisen as to 

whether the people or government are 

responsible, of which many had 

contended that it might be due to 

consistent neglect and marginalization 

on the part of government.  

 

Gas Flare contributes significantly to 

climate change and affects communities 

all over the world.  With Nigeria per 

capita GNP lowers than at 

independence, with rising political 

instability for a country that relied 

heavily on mono-economic index it is 

thereof an appalling waste of resources 

that the country cannot afford. 

 



 

 

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Thus, the people of Niger-Delta, where 

the oil gush out as in a platform of honey 

comb are many at times made to see no 

reason that might warrant complains or 

protest from them. They are only good at 

been called the oil producing region of 

Nigeria, whereas the euphoria and 

goodies that goes with such an accolade 

eludes the people whose life span had 

been half spent in the creek and half 

existing in a perpetual neglect and 

abandonment with degraded 

environment, poisoned water, dried up 

crops and collided and polluted air that 

defile human breathing. Cyclical 

exploitation, dislocation, illegal 

combustion of oils and devastation of 

the region by both the activities of 

federal government of Nigeria, the 

multinational corporation and the 

gullible elites amongst other interest 

groups had perpetually pose to denied 

the people the very available 

opportunities to taste a good life because 

of their crazy for cheap oil money that 

they termed a free gift to mankind. With 

this kind of attitude, however, one 

wonders whether if at all there is a 

responsible government in Nigeria? 

Why has everyone abandoned all other 

endowed natural resources to chase 

cheap oil money? Why is the 

government so on disturbed with lack of 

feelings to the plight of the people of 

Niger-Delta where this gas flaring had 

caused a great deal of havoc?                 

 

Premised on this thrown up issues, this 

study shall examine the theoretical basis 

of this study, the historical over of 

Niger-Delta, the logic of the 

investigation, the effects of gas flaring 

on the followings: the environment, 

water, farm crops, infrastructures, aqua-

lives and forestry among others. And the 

possible avenues where the government 

and the multinational corporation are 

implicated in their duties for failing to 

manage oil exploration and exploitation 

well to benefits of the people and growth 

of the economy. 

 

THEORETICAL ARGUMENTS 
Mindful of the level of devastations, 

dislocation and distortions in the Niger 

Delta owing to the effects of gas flaring 

and oil exploration, the study adopts the 

theories of Environmental Pollution and 

Environmental Degradation. The above 

theories are combined in the course of 

the inquiries even though they are 

examined separately, while the link 

establishing them to be complementary 

tools to the research investigation vis-a-

vis the events and activities in the Niger 

Delta that are brought to the fore. 

 

The first is the: Theory of 

Environmental Pollution.  Speaking 

from the perspective of gas flaring, 

pollution, especially environmental 

pollution, which comprises of the air, 

water and land pollution, is otherwise, 

the sending of impure or unpleasant 

substances to the atmosphere or 

environment to either contaminates, or 

mixed with the air or water with adverse 

effects and or causes damages of 

dislocation to the ecosystem of the 

natural environment. This study in view 

of the menace of pollution to the 

environment in Nigeria – Niger Delta, 



 

 

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Okechukwu, Groupson-Paul UC. 

and as an adopted theory emphasis that 

pollution, caused by gas flaring is real. 

Some scholars of this school like 

Heltland Gloria E. (2010), Bobak, M. 

Leon (1999), Peter Maull Tim (2010), 

Pietro P. (2011), Baiardi D. (2010), 

Uchida Emi (2005), Robert Stavins 

(2007), Cameron Trudy Ann (2006) and 

Rachel Carson (1962) among others 

argued that pollution, which is 

destructive and hazardous to the 

environment and people are due to 

ambient air pollution that has a great 

effect on health, economy and human 

productivity. 

 

According to Encyclopedia Britainica 

(2002), the general principle that 

pollution (air), especially from gas 

flaring, occurs all the time, all day and 

has a consequential damaging effects on 

the people is there. This is because the 

degree of combustion and the emitted 

CO2 into the atmosphere is a consistent 

daily event in human environment, 

which thereafter causes havoc on lives 

and living organisms.  In support of this 

notion, Mittermeier (2012) observed that 

pollution occur when the ecosystem are 

not safeguarded and are tenaciously 

exerted with forces greater than the 

capacity it can absorb. It affects people 

and society as man depends on nature for 

health and jobs even in international 

society. In a plain word, Claudia (2002) 

aptly noted that pollution may reduce the 

prestige of people either in organization, 

occupation or environment. It shows the 

difference between other groups in work 

and housing in any environment, 

because a polluted environment can only 

be safe inside and can debase the 

working environment into isolation, 

especially, where the air is greatly 

affected. 

 

In the same vein, Ezzati (2002) opined 

that air pollution is due to situational 

prevalence in many localities and states. 

This is because air pollution and poverty 

are seen as priority areas for public 

health intervention. Meaning, that air 

pollution like gas flaring are more 

serious health problem as it affects both 

environment and people. 

Complementing this further, Heltand, 

Berck and Maull (2010) argued that 

physical pollution occurs because it is 

virtually impossible to have a productive 

process that involves no waste. They 

went further to accentuate that pollution 

occurs because polluting is less 

expensive than operating cleanly.   

 

Implicit on these analogies, it is 

evidence that gas flaring causes air 

pollution. Air pollution itself is 

destructive to human health, which can 

have adverse effect on both environment 

and the general society. However, this 

theory, combined with the next theory 

stands to give the study a clear basis for 

argument and analysis in arriving at our 

desired result. 

 

Secondary, the Theory of 

Environmental Degradtion. 

According to the scholars of this school, 

like Meyers R. (1985) Jack D. Ives 

(1987), Cameron Truddy Ann (2006) 

G.M.P. de Silva (1991) and Steven 

Shavell (2010) among others, 



 

 

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environmental degradation create a huge 

loses to the economy and it is link to 

other problems that denied the 

environment the natural gifts that ought 

to benefit man. Agreeing to this notion, 

De Silva (1991) aptly noted that apart 

from destruction of forested areas, 

wetlands, grasslands and bodies of water 

arises because of the difference between 

the discount rate of the individual and 

the society as a whole, environmental 

degradation could be increase when the 

people (poor) presses for fuel, fodder, 

water, land cultivation and or 

explorations for natural resources. He 

went further to argue that it is the private 

increases on land or environmental 

exploration that create intense pressure, 

thereby devastating the land surface. 

This kind of exploitation on the 

environment for resources to sustain 

livelihood helps to add to the societal 

woos. 

 

In support of the notion, Ives (1987) 

opined that environmental degradation 

in recent time shows that many areas or 

region are rapidly evolving crisis. This is 

because the theory on which 

development planning and 

implementation are based confuses 

cause and effect and ignores the great 

complexity of the region and the people. 

On this statement, Meyers (1985) argued 

that environmental degradation is as a 

result of the cost of land clearance 

arising from exploitation of natural 

resources for financial gain that 

highlight the problems involved all too 

clearly, since these resources provide a 

myriad of functional processes, which 

go beyond the clearly tangible areas of 

providing food and product for 

commerce. He went further to state that 

the loggers, farmers and builders among 

others can create environmental 

degradation through their exploits of the 

range and grassland and water resources, 

which in turn creates dislocation and 

distortion on the environment. 

 

Inference to these notions, shows that 

the desires to explore mineral resources 

and the fell of trees can result into a 

highly productive potential of the area 

being threatened, especially if the area or 

quality of the soil remains poor. 

Therefore, environmental degradation 

combines with pollutions either land or 

air due to exploration and the inserting 

of high forces on the soil surface can be 

devastating to the environment. These 

combined actions are not in any way 

different from what the study observed 

and witnessed in the Nigerian Niger-

Delta environment.  

 

Imperative on this, the monumentus 

exploitation and cyclical exploration of 

oil in the region by both the indigenous 

and Multinational Corporations (MNC) 

bodies and allies has exposed the entire 

region into a risk environment clearly 

confirmed the havoc of pollution and 

environmental degradation. While this 

air pollution, water pollution, land 

degradation and distortion are 

vehemently noticed, the questions are: 

what are the government doing to 

stopping or reduce the level 

destructions? Why are the people who 

had suffered such a terrible distortion on 



 

 

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The Politics of Gas Flaring in Nigeria Niger-Delta and the Negating Contours:  

The Basis of the Looming Crisis 

Okechukwu, Groupson-Paul UC. 

their soil be abandoned to fate? What is 

the role of the Niger-Delta leaders 

toward ameliorating this degradations 

and sufferings? What are the risk of 

living in this kind of environment where 

life and society are hostile to the 

populace? Has the present government 

being able to rise up to its 

responsibilities? 

 

HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF 

NIGER-DELTA OIL AND, GAS                    

FLARING  

The area called the Niger Delta, which 

was formerly known as the Oil Rivers or 

the British Oil Rivers protectorate, with 

about 70,000km is made up of 7.5% of 

Nigeria’s land mass of today Abia state, 

Akwa-Ibom state, Cross River state, Edo 

state, Imo state, Delta state, Rivers state, 

Ondo state and Bayelsa state due to 

government new legislation in 2000 

(Ifedike, 2012). The area also houses 

over 40 ethnic groups including the Efik, 

Ibibio, Annang, Oron, Ijaw, Itsekiri, 

Igbo, Isoko, Urhobo, Ilaje, Yoruba and 

the Kalabari amongst others. 

 

In Nigeria, with the discovery of oil at 

Olobiri in the oil Rivers in the late 

1950s, to which the development and 

exploration of crude expanded the sector 

for many years. Gas flaring, at the same 

time began in Nigeria (Isiguzo, 2012). 

But one unfortunate thing is that while 

Nigeria became the biggest producer of 

petroleum in Black Africa with an 

increase of over 2 million barrel 

(320,000m3) of crude in a day, gas 

flaring, and its hazards effects were not 

being appropriated or checkmated until 

this injurious period. Thereby, 

increasing the level of environmental 

problems and human devastations 

records. These actions, according to 

Anyanwu (2013), were noted to have 

been operated by Multinational 

Corporation (mostly, the Royal Dutch 

Shell and Shell BP, Agip, Chevron, 

Conoco, Slumberg, Total and Texaco 

among others) who in turn helped in 

providing the Nigerian state with 

necessary technology and financial 

resources. The interest in this necessary 

aspect with the existed effective overture 

has a long term problematic 

consequences on the populace. Thus, on 

whether it was probably ignored 

willfully or by sheer negligence left 

much to be desired with the attendant 

results as it was not long as expected 

before the causal effects. 

 

Meanwhile, beginning from the period 

of oil exploration in Nigeria, there had 

been international controversies, which 

seems to centre on who is actually in 

control, and what seems also to ask what 

are the fate of the host communities, all 

these lingered. With the 

internationalization of oil business and 

the concomitant drive for oil wealth by 

both friends and foes of Nigeria with the 

connivance of the elites, Apam (2011), 

observed that the stage was not only set 

for the effective actions that were central 

to the possible devastation, pollution 

ecocide, kleptocracy, gas flaring, 

environmental degradation and human 

rights abuses to which some of the 

multinational corporation were 

implicated in several quarters as been 



 

 

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anti-human in operation and co-

habitation. 

 

However, from this period henceforth, 

one naughty event after the other 

followed. The question on who actually 

was in control of the Nigeria oil wells in 

the Niger-Delta become an issue? What 

was the position of the military 

governments then? Why do the 

multinational corporations resolved in 

using diplomatic recognition of regime 

to keep in power who does their biddings 

with a huge oil exchange as international 

praise-singers in the eye of the world? 

Do the people of Nigeria-Niger Delta 

have a say to the oil gushing out of their 

domain? How enlightened were they to 

fight the course of the itemized issues in 

controversy? Does this suggest that the 

Niger Delta problem was not 

contemporary, but from the origin of 

discovery to exploration, and now to the 

advance exploration era? 

 

On this lingered questions, this study 

tends to points out at the whole problem 

of gas flaring as one aspects of the 

numerous problems of the Niger Delta 

region. The pains of the affected 

communities and people might not 

probably be a disturbance to the 

government that is driven by the 

quantum of revenue generation through 

oil exploration. The burning of gas into 

the air and the unconcerned attitude of 

government points to the premeditated 

years of neglect of the people of the 

region. 

 

Thus, partly agreeing with Dede (2010) 

that despite the huge economic gains on 

oil, that one naivety that had confronted 

the whole situation, particularly on the 

government side, was the issue of not 

minding the devastating effect of oil 

exploration, but only interested in the 

wealth and turnover. A crude idea of 

capitalist orientation where life and 

destruction means nothing compared to 

value and gains of profit. Meaning that 

the issue of gas flaring is not what 

government can waste resources in 

tackling headlong, a political intrigues 

portraying the government and their 

international partners - the multinational 

corporations, as not concerned to the 

health hazard and its detrimental effects 

on the communities. In support of this 

Ifedike (2012:2-3), argued that the 

superfluous quantity of oil, together with 

gas extraction comprising of over 97% 

of Nigeria’s foreign exchange revenue 

was what the parties were concerned of. 

This is because the natural gas extracted 

in oil wells in the Delta is immediately 

burned or flared, thereby causing over 

70 million m3 per day that also formed 

the largest single source of greenhouse 

gas emission on the planet earth. The 

consequence of this hereby implies that 

climate change devastation, could be 

imminent in the Delta region and the 

sub-Saharan Africa in general. 

 

In the word of Climate of Justice 

Programme (2005), and the Urhobo 

Historical Society (2003), this constitute 

the biggest gas flaring in Nigeria. The 

activities of these multinational 

corporations however failed to attend to 



 

 

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The Politics of Gas Flaring in Nigeria Niger-Delta and the Negating Contours:  

The Basis of the Looming Crisis 

Okechukwu, Groupson-Paul UC. 

the problems of this region as if they do 

not exist on the same earth surface. The 

region, their protests and campaigns 

were seen as baseless, economic 

sabotage and treasonable crime against 

the Nigerian state, since the federal 

government by law owed all land and its 

resources. This attitude, Stanley (2013) 

observed, is the cause of the consistent 

restiveness and aggressive orientations 

on the helpless, jobless, hopeless and 

confused youths of the region even to 

this day. 

 

THE LOGIC OF 

INVESTIGATIONS OF GAS 

FLARING IN NIGER DELTA AND 

THE DAMAGING EFFECTS ON 

THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES 

On field investigation, this study took a 

tour of six gas flaring sites located in six 

communities in the heart of Niger Delta 

as there were several, and other pockets 

of oil explorations sites. 

  Such communities as: Ebocha – 

Egbema, Oboma, Rumuekpe, Patani, 

Bomadi and Okpoloma among others 

formed the study locations and sites. The 

sample populations are the men, women 

and even visitors to these communities. 

Under the sample and sampling 

procedure, the study concentrated on the 

members of the local communities 

within the six chosen communities, and 

possibly residents. Imperative on the 

inquiry, the following data were 

collected and analyzed, thus: the inquiry 

utilizes both primary and secondary 

data. The primary data adopts perceptive 

study that is, getting to know how the 

inhabitants or the people in the Niger 

Delta communities perceive gas flare in 

the area; how the people feel about gas 

flare. In this process, a few unstructured 

questions were posed to them in order to 

get the perceptions of dwellers about the 

hazard. The questions, between five and 

ten or more were used in the selected 

communities, especially Ebocha-

Egbema community that was used as the 

research base, so as to get the necessary 

information needed for the work. 

The questions are designed to get 

accommodate personal information of 

persons, which was never a barrier nor 

was it taken into cognizance in the 

course of analysis as they were all 

victims of the same gas flaring.  The 

second group of questions was designed 

to get the causes of gas flaring in the 

Niger Delta.  While the third sets of 

questions are designed to get the impact, 

effect and problems created by gas 

flaring amongst the visited communities 

and the possibility of how gas flaring can 

be control and or useful to the host 

communities and the nation in 

particular, since gas flaring itself is an 

artificial phenomenon which occurs in 

the Niger Delta.  

The interview, which was on the key 

informants in the selected communities, 

was obtained using the simple 

percentage level of the response with 

chi-square as a means of analysis. 

Although, as stated earlier, among the 

socio-economic characteristic of the 

people, the sex of the respondents, 

percentage responses, and effect of gas 



 

 

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flares had remained imperative in the 

course of interacting with people of the 

selected communities, which was duly 

considered as victims of the causes of 

gas flaring. 

Table 1:  Distribution of Population by Sex. 

Sex                 

Distribution  A B  C D E      F     Total % 

Male 9 7  6 6 7       5      40        57.2% 

Female 6 5  6 5 4       4       30        42.8% 

Total  15 12  12 11 11     9       70 100 

Source: Fieldwork, February 2014. 

Where the alphabets in the table above 

represents the name of the sites 

as follows:  A = Ebocha-Egbema, B = 

Oboma, C = Rumuekpe, D = Patani, E 

=Bomadi and F = Okpoloma. In general 

observation, it is noted that of the people 

interviewed as above, that 57.2% (40) 

are male while 42.8% (30) are female as 

seen in the data above. From Table 1, 

above, shows the distribution of 

response per sex and the total number 

thereof. It is clear that majority of those 

interviewed in the course of the inquiry 

are male population from Ebocha-

Egbema (9), Bomadi (7) and Oboma (7).  

While Rumuekpe (6) and Patani (6) have 

equal number of key informants. It is 

only Okpoloma (5) that have less 

respondents amongst the interviewed 

informants. 

However, to get the percentage of the 

responses, some of the unstructured 

questions put before the respondents are: 

Is gas flaring an environmental friendly? 

Does it boost the health condition of the 

people? Is it economically advantageous 

to means of livelihood? Does it have any 

negative effect on the communities 

experiencing it? Does gas flaring have 

human factor or artificial factor? Is it 

prone to unhealthy living? Does 

government cum agents or oil firms have 

stake in gas flaring hazards on the 

people? What is the probability that 

government cum oil firms are not 

benefiting from the wastage of gas 

flaring? 

 

Sequel to the posed questions above, the 

responses obtained was grouped into a 

simple percentage sum as shown below 

according to the responses from 

individual communities for simplicity 

and easy comprehend since the selected 

communities are victims of the same 

hazard – gas flaring. 

 

 

 

 



 

 

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The Politics of Gas Flaring in Nigeria Niger-Delta and the Negating Contours:  

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Okechukwu, Groupson-Paul UC. 

Table 2 PERCENTAGE OF RESPONSE FROM INDIVIDUAL 

COMMUNITIES 
Letter A B C D E F CUMT. CUMT. % 

M 60% 58% 50% 55% 64% 56% 343% 57.2% 

F 40% 42% 50% 45% 36% 44% 257% 42.8% 

TOTAL 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 600% 100% 

Where:  Simple % =  number x 100 

       Total   1 

 M = Male percentage of response 

 F = Female percentage of response 

             CumT = Cumulative Total 

             CumT. % = Cumulative Total Percentage         

       Letters A – F = Represent the name of communities 

 

In view of the above posed questions and 

many others, the key informants were 

grouped into both male and female as a 

way of having a general overview of the 

response of each community affected by 

the incidence of gas flaring. In table 2, 

above, there is great difference between 

the male respondent and their female 

counterpart as 60% of men to 40% of the 

female at Ebocha-Egbema Community 

indicate that the men are reactive and 

vocal in their condemnation of the 

menace of gas flaring in their 

community than the women are below 

average, showing that the level of 

awareness are not high and also not 

forceful. It also proved that the men have 

more say in the community than the 

women who seemed to be more 

concerned on family and domestic front 

than the menace plaguing them. This 

does not mean that they are in any way 

in support of the devious act of gas 

flaring in the area. The investigation 

noted that some of the factor informing 

the low slide in the women role is due to 

shame-shy in facing reality, like the 

destructive role of gas flaring in their 

community. 

 

At Oboma community, the men with 

58% and the women with 42% showed a 

remarkable change in the reaction of 

women even when the men still had 

upper hand. Both sex however, were out 

to express their displeasure over the 

dislocation of their community by the 

menace of gas flaring. Everybody was 

aware of the consequence and the 

environmental effects on lives and 

livelihood. So, the reactions of 

condemnation were encouraging. 

 

In Rumuekpe, against the level of 

degradation and distortion in the 

community, both men and women with 

50% each were highly aware and was no 

way ready to compromise their rights. 

The women show strong measure of 

protest in letting those concerned to their 

predicament to understand their plight. 

The 50%equal to the voice and stand of 

the men expresses the level of deep 

anger and pain on their household, 



 

 

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especially in trying to make an end meet 

from devoured land, water, crops and 

plants affected by several forms of 

infections and pollutants. The men were 

also intense seeing the degree of support 

they gather from their spouse in letting 

the world know the kind of game the oil 

companies and government officials are 

using them to play in the continued 

incidence of gas flaring. The havoc that 

had destroyed their means of livelihood 

and human existence going by the 

degree of plaguing diseases and high 

level of vulnerability of the community 

to policies of deception and denial. 

 

At Patani community, where the coastal 

line and waterways was rendered no 

safety zone for both human and aquatic 

live survival, the peoples’ pain and anger 

are not only against the community 

leaders and the Nigeria government 

official, but the percentage response 

show that both the men (55%) and the 

women (45%) are keenly aware of the 

level of destruction on their 

environment. This informed the inciting 

of the youth of the area to indulge in 

seizing or kidnapping some staff of the 

oil workers unless compensation and 

better deal are agreed upon by all the 

parties, since their environment is not 

habitable as skin disease, cough and 

other terminal diseases had infested the 

community. 

 

At Bomadi, the men dominate in the cry 

for justice against the menace of gas 

flaring and other related disaster 

encroaching the area. The men with 64% 

against the women 36% was seen in the 

course of the research as the docile 

nature of the women of the area who 

would preferred their husband or male 

folks to take their role as headship of 

family. The weaknesses of the women 

also display a source of worry to the men 

who needed encouragement to fight their 

rights violations by the oil companies 

and the federal government of Nigeria. 

In another realm, it seemed the women’s 

weakness is located on the delay and 

neglect of the area vis-à-vis the several 

years that they had complained and cried 

over this gas flaring menace. The men 

on the other hand might not relent in 

engendering the continued struggle 

against environmental and human rights 

violation in their community by the oil 

explorers. 

 

In the case of Okpoloma community, 

found deep inside the creek with no 

arable or land space for cultivation, the 

men and women were highly aware of 

the degradation and destruction of lives 

in their water front as fish and other 

water food are consistently destroyed. 

The men with (56%) and the women 

(44%), indicates that there was a relative 

coherency in the condemnation of the 

activities of oil exploration in their 

community and its consequence gas 

flaring menace, which had devastated 

and destroyed every means of 

livelihood. The community lives on 

water that is highly polluted. The 

corrosion of wrings on the water surface 

and the dead of plant and vegetation 

explain the kind of lives observed in the 

coastal line where gas flaring, oil 

spillage and environmental degradation 



 

 

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Okechukwu, Groupson-Paul UC. 

had placed many of the host 

communities in the Niger Delta in a state 

of mercy and pity of visitors. 

 

However, in the final collation, the study 

had a cumulative total percentage of 

57.2% for the male over 42.8% for the 

female. This calculation still informed 

from the separate individual community 

response to the cumulative % that the 

male are more aware and are at the same 

time in the forefront of the struggle 

against the menace of gas flaring that 

had invariably devastated their 

communities in the coastal line of the 

Niger Delta. 

 

In the investigation, the 100% sum in the 

addition to each community responses 

shows the coherence and strength of the 

people in realizing the menace of gas 

flaring on the environment, while at the 

same time speaking out to the 

international human rights group, 

Amnesty International and the 

International community to visit and 

conduct survey on what they had been 

complaining about over the level of 

destruction and neglect of the Niger 

Delta host communities by both the oil 

companies and the Nigeria government. 

The investigation also revealed 

that there are indeed gas flaring hazard 

in Niger Delta host communities like 

Ebocha-Egbema, Oboma, Rumuekpe, 

Patani, Bomadi and Okpoloma 

communities of Niger Delta coastal line. 

 

THE EFFECTS OF GAS FLARING 

IN NIGER DELTA 
Obviously, it is evidence that air 

pollution has been the resultant effect 

from gas flaring. This has greatly 

affected the inhabitants of the host 

communities in the Niger Delta where 

oil exploration and environmental 

distortion had been going on for long. 

Thus, Isiguzo (2012) observed that gas 

flaring is mostly felt in the communities 

close to the site of the flare. Some of the 

effects of gas flare on the Niger Delta are 

noticeable in the following areas: 

 

i. Health    

ii. Farms     

iii. Fishing/Aquatic life   

iv. Pollution (Air/Water) 

 

In this regard, Carson (1962), argued 

that this kind of pollution affects every 

human being from the region from the 

moment of conception to death. 

Although, gas flare problem varies from 

one community to another depending on 

the severity of the flare in some of the 

communities as noted in the course of 

inquiry. In the same vein, the 

investigation of this study revealed 

through the data collected that the effect 

of gas flare on the above itemized fields 

of human environment was heinous and 

devious. The table below shows the 

degree of response and the resultant 

percentage of the effect on each host 

community.

 

 

 



 

 

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Table 3 EFFECTS OF GAS FLARING ON SELECTED COMMUNITIES  
  

commu

nities 

A B C D E F CUMT/% 

Affecte

d Areas 

R % R % R % R % R % R % R % 

Health 6 40 5 41 4 33 4 36.4 5 45.5 3 33 27 228.9 

Farming 4 27 3 25 3 25 3 27.3 3 27.3 2 22 18 153.6 

Fishing 2 13 2 17 2 17 2 18.2 1 9.1 2 22 11 96.3 

Pollutio

n 

3 20 2 17 3 25 2 18.2 2 18.2 2 22 14 120.4 

Total 15 100 12 100 12 100 11 100.1 11 100.1 9 99 70 599.2 

Using simple percentage model of calculation: 

 

Where r  = Number of response to the effect of gas flares 

   % = Percentage of the response on flared gas 

     CUMT = Cumulative Total/Percentage 

Letter A to F = Representing each community as already designated above. 

 

 

ANALYSIS OUTCOME 
i. EFFECTS ON HEALTH OF THE 

PEOPLE 

The study in a general collation had 

about 27 key informant interviewed, 

spreading the six communities with a 

cumulative percentage of 228.9% out of 

the expected 230%. The imbalance 

being the error incurred in the process of 

collection. In the result that followed, it 

is noted that the response on how gas 

flare affects the people of each 

community differ from one to the other. 

In Ebocha-Egbema, with 6(40%), the 

effects of the gas flare amongst the 

people shows that the incident is at a 

higher degree since it has crossed the 

benchmark of degree of seriousness 

amongst the people. In Oboma 

community, the recorded figure of 

5(41%) of the effect also show a degree 

of serious amongst the people. 

Although, at Patani with 4(36.4%), it 

could not cross the point or met the 

benchmark, but the low effect shows a 

degree of near seriousness. Meaning that 

there is a tendency of increase in the 

level of effects on the people if not 

control. The result also shows no 

significance difference between 

Rumuekpe 4(33%) and Okpoloma 

3(33%). This means that the effect of gas 

flare on the people is still at its lower 

degree but has the tendency to grow to 

the level of seriousness if not checked 

and controlled. 

 

Taken cognizance that all the 

communities are directly affect with one 

measure of high, seriousness, serious 

and otherwise, it is imperative to point 

out that the general health condition of 



 

 

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The Politics of Gas Flaring in Nigeria Niger-Delta and the Negating Contours:  

The Basis of the Looming Crisis 

Okechukwu, Groupson-Paul UC. 

the people are under a serious threat. The 

study also informed that gas flaring 

increases the risk of respiratory 

illnesses, asthma, impaired lung 

function and cancer (Brunekreef and 

Holgate, 2002). It is also noted to have 

often causes painful breathing, chronic 

bronchitis, decreased lung function, 

body itching, blindness, impotency, and 

premature death amongst others, which 

made Ige (2007) to attest that at Ebocha-

Egbema general Hospital some patients 

were furious over the effects of gas 

flaring on them. There, also observed 

among many inhabitants some cases of 

poor vision, mortality and morbidity, 

cough and skin diseases among the 

younger inhabitants. These health 

problems are blamed grossly on oil 

production activities in the Niger Delta, 

to which gas flaring is a bye-product. Its 

effects also cause reduction in lives 

expectancy, birth outcome and perpetual 

black cloud in the environment (Maull 

and Berck, 2010). 

 

ii. THE EFFECTS ON FARMS/ 

FARMING 
The general effect of gas flaring on 

farms and farming processes were also 

noted to have affected the set benchmark 

of 155%, whereas the general recorded 

mark is 153.6% with 18 cumulative total 

instead of the recorded 20 point. The 

farms and farming projects at Ebocha-

Egbema 4(27%), Patani 3(27.3%) and 

Bomadi 3(27.3%) were highly affected 

by the hazard of gas flaring, while 

Oboma 3(25%) and Rumuekpe 3(25%) 

were average in term of destruction of 

farm crops and harvest. Okpoloma is 

2(22%) showing low effects but with the 

tendency of increasing. 

 

The general implication shows that 

economic trees, crops and plants are 

greatly affected. Thus, Okene (2008) in 

seeing the havoc caused by gas flaring at 

Ebocha-Egbema detested the degree of 

gas been flares into the air. He averred 

how a stump of what was once a coconut 

tree met its untimely death owing to the 

menace of gas flaring in the area. This 

degree of plant and animal farms 

destruction in the community indicates 

that the hazard of gas flare in the studied 

communities informed of the awful 

damage on the Niger Delta. 

 

It also means that the years of petroleum 

production in the coastal states have 

rendered lands unproductive, poisoned 

the waters and forests while making the 

environment generally inhabitable in the 

Niger Delta. To the farm animals in the 

host communities, the research noted at 

Bomadi and Patani that most animals 

like goat, grasscutter, sheep, poultry and 

birds are seriously infected by virus and 

some inhaled diseases.  

 

iii. THE EFFECT ON FISH/ 

FISHING AND AQUA-LIFE 
The people of the Niger Delta coastal 

line are renowned for their fishing and 

aquatic life exploits, but the robust 

business for which they are known for 

many years had been cut short by the 

incidence of gas flaring. All the 

communities were greatly affected as the 

percentage of this effect shows that it is 

highly noticed at Okpoloma with 22%. 



 

 

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Meaning that fishing, which is their only 

means of livelihood had been greatly 

affected by the pollutant from gas flaring 

which invariably kill the fishes and other 

economic aquatic life in the water and 

streams in the community. Patani, with 

18.2% also suffers the same economic 

loss of aquatic life due to the acidity of 

water and streams that might have been 

the only source of existence of the 

fishes. The record at both Oboma - 17% 

and Rumuekpe - 17% shows that there is 

similarity in the effect as most fishing 

water are great poisoned by the CO2 

emissions from the gas flaring. Though, 

Ebocha-Egbema - 13% share the same 

number but different percentages, just 

like others, but it does not mean that it 

hasn’t its own challenges as life of 

fishermen and fishing in the area had 

been greatly devastated. 

 

Against the fact that gas flaring rendered 

the environment generally inhabitable, 

the coastal line and live inside water and 

water ways are dislocated and distorted 

by the menace of gas flaring. With the 

acidic content of most waters in the 

investigated communities, their means 

of existence, fishing had been greatly 

destroyed by the colour and cloudy 

black look of the most water in these 

communities. The ecosystems in this 

investigated communities had shown 

that brackish swamp forests, water 

changing to charcoal-black slippery to 

kill aquatic lives like fish and others 

becomes the attendant phenomena in 

almost all the Niger Delta coastal lines. 

This water contamination affects the fish 

population and affects the fishermen that 

rely on fishing to support their family 

(Ifedike, 2008). 

 

iv. EFFECTS OF AIR/WATER 

POLLUTION 
The table 3.3.1 above had shown that gas 

flaring also cause air or water pollution. 

The effects of this on both water and air 

also helped to increase the degree of 

havoc on the environment and human 

lives. In the collected results percentage, 

Rumuekpe with 25% experienced a high 

degree effect of gas flaring that were on 

the increase both on air and water 

pollution combined. 

 

The other communities like Okpoloma, 

22% and Ebocha-Egbema 20%, showing 

a different result was due to the fact that 

the numbers and the percentages are 

different. Although, one interesting 

thing about this result is that both has a 

high incidence of air/water pollution 

owing to gas flaring. To Patani, with 

18.2% and Bomadi with 18.2%, while 

Oboma has 17% indicates that there is 

the likelihood of a gradual or daily 

increase and or reduction, which is 

possible. Omeje (2006), on this 

observation, asserts that despite the 

substantial revenue from oil production, 

Nigerian continues to suffer from 

environmental degradation associated to 

gas flaring. This probably also might 

place Nigeria as the second largest gas 

flared in the world. In submission, 

Okonta and Oronto (2003), reiterated 

that the rate of gas flaring in Niger Delta 

and emissions contributes significantly 

to global warming, which composed of 

toxic gases such as sulfur oxide (SO2), 



 

 

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The Politics of Gas Flaring in Nigeria Niger-Delta and the Negating Contours:  

The Basis of the Looming Crisis 

Okechukwu, Groupson-Paul UC. 

nitrogen oxide (NO2), benzapryene, 

toluene, xylene and hydrogen sulfide 

(HSO2) amongst others, thereby 

imposing negative effect on the 

environment and people. 

 

However, going by level of politicking 

in attending to the issue of gas flaring 

and willful abandonment of the host 

communities to their fate by the 

government and the oil firms, to which 

the degree of degradation and 

environmental destructions as noted by 

this investigation exemplified, it is 

evidence that there is a grave contour in 

oil exploration management in Niger-

Delta. The inferences arrived at using 

both Human and Artificial factors also 

helped to further the research intention 

in finding out the causal effects of gas 

flaring in the Niger Delta.  The evidence 

deduced from that observation showed 

that the enabling laws were willfully 

disregarded, violated and abandoned by 

both the oil firms and their government 

allies, thereby leaving the people of the 

area to die in their predicaments. This 

level of politicking also informs that 

there are some community leaders who 

convince with the government and oil 

companies to distort and dislocate the 

vulnerable members of the community. 

Thereby exposing the element of 

insincerity in treating gas flaring default 

despite its negative implications. 

 

 

 

 

 

THE POLITICS OF GAS 

FLARING: NIGERIA 

GOVERNMENT AND THE 

MULTINATIONAL 

CORPORATION’S ROLES 

UNFORGOTTABLE 
Based on the investigations of this study, 

it is agreeable that gas flaring is real in 

Nigeria Niger-Delta by virtue of being 

an oil producing state with over 180 

billion cubic feet of natural gas. This 

affirmation also coincides with the fact 

that the act of safety disposal of waste 

gases through combustion in Nigeria has 

been at a high magnitude for a long time 

since the inception of oil exploration 

without any solution in sight.  It is also 

evidence that the menace had combined 

with environmental degradation caused 

by oil spillage, land slid and other 

natural disasters to cause untold 

hardships on the people of the localities 

of the Niger Delta. Some basic questions 

that then strike the mind toward 

unraveling this evil acts are: Do 

government exists at all in Nigeria? If 

yes, is there any legislations as regarding 

the monitoring and controlling of the 

activities of the MNC firms in term of oil 

exploitation and environmental 

distortions? Who manages oil 

exploration in Nigeria? Is it the Nigerian 

state or the MNCs? What are the stakes 

of the host communities’ vis-à-vis oil 

exploration benefits, developments and 

the consequential effects of flared gas in 

their communities? 

 

Considering the above raised questions, 

and whether gas flaring is normal in any 

oil producing environment, Chijoke 



 

 

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(2002) argued that it is a common 

practice in the oil production process, 

but the Nigerian case attracts more 

attention given the volume of gas flared 

since the beginning of commercial oil 

production in the country. This, he 

further argued in comparism, that social 

responsibility attitude towards gas 

conservation in Nigeria and Canada are 

different, because the demand partly due 

to environmental requirements in 

Canada and other advanced countries 

does not apply in Nigeria. The point of 

emphases here is that the Nigerian 

government legislation seems to be 

weak towards monitoring and 

controlling the activities of the MNC oil 

companies as each operates on different 

sphere while play the hocus-pocus game 

of relying on the existed laws. A 

political intrigue that played itself 

against the cry and protest of the people 

of the communities on the hazardous 

effects of flared gas was seen in the 

proposed legislation on the menace of 

gas flaring, since the investigation above 

has identified artificial factors as the 

cause of flared gas in the region. A bill 

was however proposed by a private 

person on how to checkmate the 

nefarious activities of the oil companies, 

but it was blocked by government agents 

who benefits from the oil companies in 

the year 2000. According to the 

arguments put forward by Chijoke 

(2002), Oranto (2003), Okereke (2007), 

Ukala (2011) and Omeje (2010), in this 

respect, the weakness in the government 

push to reduce the excesses of gas 

flaring seem to yield no result as nothing 

is happening toward solving the endemic 

of gas flaring. Chijoke (2002) further 

revealed that even oil producing 

companies in the country jointly 

attacked the proposed policy legislation 

as technically infeasible. To this effects, 

the companies argued that accelerating 

the flare programme is unrealistic, 

knowing that it is national policy and not 

private. 

 

According to Oronto and Okonta (2003) 

the Nigeria government, probably on 

what they are gaining from the oil firms 

through its agents are misinformed and 

at same time not committed to solving 

the problem of gas flaring. This is 

because the problem is more to what the 

people see than to what is actually taking 

place in the Niger Delta communities 

where these gases are flared with 

impurity and as also explained in the 

above investigation report. The failure 

of Nigeria government in asserting its 

strength to control and reduce gas flaring 

may likewise be agreed with Chijoke 

(2003) and Kalu (2006), who also notes 

that by the federal government acting on 

the dictates of the oil companies shows 

that it had relegate the health, life span 

and environment of many well-being 

Nigerians to the background. The 

essence of the government to monitoring 

and control all the oil business are to 

create a healthy and conducive 

atmosphere to all players and stake 

holders, but when the opposite become 

what the people are seeing at Ebocha – 

Egbema, Obioma, Patani, Okpoloma, 

Rumuekpe and Bomadi among others 

where gas flaring sites and the 

atmosphere  turns black cloud daily with 



 

 

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The Politics of Gas Flaring in Nigeria Niger-Delta and the Negating Contours:  

The Basis of the Looming Crisis 

Okechukwu, Groupson-Paul UC. 

several emissions, then the issue of do 

we have any government in Nigeria 

becomes the reasonable questions on the 

lips of both the victims and the 

onlookers.  Much so, simply stating the 

obvious that oil exploration and 

exploitation processes has been 

mismanaged, to which the contours are 

the present detrimental effects on the 

host communities.  

  

In tandendem to all the expressed views, 

it is culpable for the federal government 

to accept the frenzy excuse of the oil 

companies that the technologies needed 

to mitigate gas flaring is presently 

beyond their reach, hence their demand 

for sufficient time to acquire such 

(Chijoke, 2002). This is because for 

haven operated in the Nigerian soil for 

more than five decades with such lapses, 

it means that their action had been a case 

of willful damage, calculated distortion 

and destructions of lives and 

environment of the affected areas of the 

Niger Delta as informed by this research 

investigations. This is because it makes 

the whole issue of gas flaring a 

problematic one and a mark of 

irresponsibility that had continually 

encouraged the unabated unhealthy 

practice in the Niger Delta for the 

government not to be in-charge of oil 

management. 

 

On the other hand, Chijoke (2002) 

argued that if the government can 

provide the platform to mitigate gas 

flaring to the barest minimum, the oil 

firms will certainly provide the way to 

do it in terms of technological 

application. But it appears that both the 

government and the MNCs are living on 

hocus-pocus paradigm since the idea of 

ending gas flaring in the Niger Delta are 

never certain. Evidence available 

according to Ted Case Studies (1998) 

showed that the above mentioned 

communities have been severely 

damaged by environmental pollution 

from oil spills, dumping of waste 

products, burning of excess gases, pipe-

line leaks, oil well blowout, gas flaring 

operations and widespread ecological 

disturbances. This long-based failed 

management of gas flaring did not only 

form and informed the basis of the 

degree of politicking in matters 

concerning these areas on the issues of 

environmental destruction, gas flaring 

and consistent pollutions that had go on 

unabated for years, but had also gone 

further to impoverished the people due 

to environmental degradation from oil 

production and the lack of adequate 

regulations on MNC companies to 

operate as they become more vulnerable 

to food shortages, health hazards, loss of 

land, pollution, forced migration and 

unemployment.  

 

This political instruments always used 

against the oppositions and protesters 

are political intrigues of diplomacy that 

had for long been applied to eliminate 

the people of Niger Delta against the 

willful balkanization, decimation and 

subjugation of their rights of existence. 

The Nigerian government and security 

forces employed this act of politicking 

with pretentious approach of 

scapegoating, haven been responsible 



 

 

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for the extrajudicial executions of some 

villagers in Rivers State for protesting 

against environmental damages and land 

destructions. At Warri and other 

environs, for instance, the only time one 

can breathe good air is if the person is 

inside an air-conditioned room as heat 

and dehydration are often recorded even 

when rain is falling in the city due to the 

ravaging effects of gas flared into the 

atmosphere. The social and 

environmental cost of this incident is 

politically seen as cheap blackmail 

against the government of the day in 

responding to protest and complains. 

  

 Although, the government in several 

respects have set up probe panels, 

commission of inquiry and other fact 

finding bodies on this issue of gas flaring 

with even huge amount of money been 

spent in trying to curb the menace of gas 

flaring, but the ends are never visible nor 

result oriented. Curbing flared gas as 

seen at Patani, Bomadi, Okpoloma, 

Rumuekepe, Ebocha–Egbema and 

Obioma among others could 

substantially offer oil field operators 

significant safety and so many economic 

and environmental advantage to other 

stakeholders, if there should be element 

of sincerity of the state administrators 

and co-partners in the oil business in 

handling of the menace.  

 

THE INTERNATIONALISATION 

OF GAS FLARING 

Having knowledge of the fact that the 

people of Niger Delta are now aware 

against all the manners of manipulations 

and antics, including the usage of the 

region as the spoilers in the Nigerian 

political system in the time past by some 

government agents, allies and cabals in 

the successive governments in 

collaboration with the national 

comprador bourgeoisies and foreign 

partners with fake and illegal oil blocks 

had been existing under hide and seek 

game of deception to short change the 

state supposedly responsibility to its 

people. The groups, encouraged 

suppression and intimidations with the 

use of the coercive instrument of the 

state with some element of diplomacy, 

cheap blackmails and or outright 

annihilation of the indigenous people in 

order to have their way had rendered the 

region perpetually impotent.  

 

The restive youths or militants on the 

order hand had in recent time and even 

before and after the amnesty programme 

resolved to contribute to the gas flaring 

menace as they still steal crude and sell 

to international oil merchants on the 

high sea in exchange of arms and 

ammunitions while building pockets of 

illegal refineries in the creeks to flare 

associated gas to the air. In some 

instance they destroyed oil installations 

of Shell BP, Agip oil, Texaco, Total, 

Chevron and host of others in order to 

cause oil spillage or oil explosion which 

contribute gravely to enhance the 

combustion of gas into the atmosphere.  

 

The Nigerian government and the 

international oil merchants and 

explorers had however, not been able to 

tell the Nigerian state the true state of 

things in the Niger Delta. The huge 



 

 

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The Politics of Gas Flaring in Nigeria Niger-Delta and the Negating Contours:  

The Basis of the Looming Crisis 

Okechukwu, Groupson-Paul UC. 

benefits garner by the government and 

the multinational companies and their 

home governments seemed to have no 

regard for the life of the people of the 

region. This is because it is the youths or 

militants protest, incursion and 

distortion of their interest in the oil 

region that had probably informed their 

change of policies and tactics, which 

have not been reflected on the issues of 

gas flaring and communities’ 

destructions.  

 

THE GENERAL IMPLICATIONS 

OF THE POLITICISATION OF 

GAS FLARING ACTIVITIES  
In view of the investigated cases of gas 

flaring as noted at Patani, Bomadi, 

Okpoloma, Obioma, Ebocha – Egbema 

and Rumuekpe and as still ongoing in 

some other locations in the Niger Delta, 

the failure of the government to attaining 

a terminal flare in Nigeria indicates that 

there are deep-seated neglect and 

abandonment of the communities 

investigated above with entire Niger-

Delta region being affected. 

 

On the reasons that the law makers from 

the region and the southern part were 

only handpicked or selected to bid the 

course of the godfathers who also 

control and benefits from oil 

productions, not much will be expected 

in pushing to tackling the issue of gas 

flaring, thereby abandoning the people 

their fates.   

 

The hollow implication of this is that 

since there is no enabling regulation to 

control and reduce gas flaring endemic, 

due to the non-push full forces of the 

lawmakers from the region to sponsor or 

encourage those that have intention for 

that to introduce a bill, the region and its 

existed situation will remain defame and 

debase toward attaining healthy 

environment no matter the amount been 

pumped there by the NDDC or 

government.  

 

The region, on the persisted health 

hazard emanating from the pollutions 

and devastations might in the near years 

experience a high incident of disabilities 

among generation of children. This 

devastating deformities may affect one 

per every family, ranging from the 

epidemics of asthma, cancer, lungs 

goiter, chronic bronchitis, premature 

deaths, stunt growth, skin burns, coarse 

skin, stillbirth, abnormalities in 

conception and other terminal and 

infectious diseases owing to inhaled or 

consumed CO2 and other health hazard 

ailments and damages.  

 

The grave implication that accompanied 

such abnormalities in a society may 

result in what psychologist called 

growing incidences of delusion, 

traumatisation and maladjustments of 

citizens. Simply, because such 

infirmities leading to societal disorder 

and death may impose long term effects 

on the communities while at the same 

time creating disaffection and distrust 

between govern and the governed. 

 

The worst devastating implications of 

this menace is that the people and the 

government loses a huge fund treating 



 

 

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sickness of different symptoms to which 

even the amount spent in fighting the 

impediments and pathogens may 

outnumber the amount that would have 

been used to pay compensation. The 

destruction of ecosystem, release of 

toxic components into the atmosphere 

and a facilitating aid of climate change 

devastations, may lead to the exposure 

of the people to benzene, resulting into a 

new cases of cancer since almost all the 

gas flaring sites located at the local 

communities lack adequate fencing or 

protection for villagers who may risk 

working near heat of the flare. 

 

The destructive implications of flared 

gas might cause human tissues damage 

by obstructing the free flow of blood in 

the vein as the cuts in turn cause cell 

damages and movement through the 

blood vessels. In addition to this, gas 

flaring and venturing produce more 

greenhouse-gas emissions than any 

other single source in Africa South of the 

Sahara. It is obvious also that the havocs 

in the region might equally have 

contributed to the Nigeria weak 

economy despite huge mineral 

resources. Thus, with over 67% of the 

Nigerian population living below 

poverty level, the Niger Delta region 

alone houses 36% of poor people.  It is 

evident that lack of political will, 

political scheming, avalanche of greed 

and corrupt elites with government 

mismanagement of natural resources 

had contributed immensely in the 

politicization of every activities and 

even life in the region, all in the bid to 

make quick money. 

CONCLUSION AND POSSIBLE 

SUGGESTIONS  

Evidence available shows that Niger 

Delta, made up of Delta state, Rivers 

state, Bayelsa state and the neighbouring 

states of Akwa Ibom, Abia, Imo, Ondo, 

Cross River and Edo states amongst 

others covers 20,000km within the 

wetland of 70,000km, with over 20 

million people and over 40 different 

ethnic groups that formed the main hob 

of the oil exploration and gas flaring 

centers (Ifedike, 2008). Every year oil 

producers flare and vent gas equivalent 

to the combined gas consumption of 

Central and South America, indicating 

that Africa flares and vents gas 

equivalent to half its power 

consumption.  

 

Nigeria is currently the 6th leading oil 

producer and exporter in the world. At 

the same time gas flaring is not new, but 

the non-chalant in tackling it headlong 

had created untold hardship on the 

people, which had not only had an 

adverse effect on the economy, but had 

also lingered for many years. However, 

apart from the facts as adduced from the 

inquiry above, it is also evidence that the 

economic benefits of these natural 

resources have not in any way been 

properly shared with most of the large 

indigenous populations, thereby 

aggravating tensions and provocations 

of aggressiveness at any slightest 

disagreement. And, for the past 40 years, 

oil and gas exploration, drilling and 

pipelines laying have also caused a 

series of environmental and health 

problems. The government, the 



 

 

224 | P a g e  

 

 

The Politics of Gas Flaring in Nigeria Niger-Delta and the Negating Contours:  

The Basis of the Looming Crisis 

Okechukwu, Groupson-Paul UC. 

organized private sector, and all the 

stakeholders in the oil and gas industry 

with the aid of their foreign counterparts 

have not cooperatively measure up to 

expectation as profit is the only thing 

prime in their minds. To some extent, 

they have not seen reasons in having a 

joint bond to making more effort in the 

promotion of even utilization of 

liquefied natural gas in factories, 

medium scale industries and create other 

avenues that will lead to the optimum 

stoppage of gas flaring in Nigeria.  

The advent of the new technical options 

shows that it is indeed possible for such 

continuous flaring to cease. Solution to 

stop gas flaring in Nigeria might have 

informed the establishment of a 

liquefied natural gas plant at Bonny in 

Rivers State by the federal government 

and the multi-transnational (MNC) oil 

and gas corporations operating in the 

country in order to promote the export of 

natural gas, utilization and to discourage 

zero gas flaring but due to lapses and 

inconsistency the plant had not been 

adequately utilized. This investigation is 

of the view that if this is properly 

attended to with the wasted gases duly 

collected, that the Nigerian economy 

might be strengthened.   

Other than flaring, there are in principle 

three alternative routes for the 

management of associated gas 

resources, in terms that the gas can be: 

(i) Re-injected into the reservoir to 

maintain pressure and enhanced oil 

recovery (EOR) or stored in 

underground formations; 

(ii) Used for energy purposes on the 

production facility or nearby 

facilities; 

 (iii)     Collected, cleaned and sold. 

 

To reduce this practice also, the 

governments need to develop and 

enforce an appropriate legal and 

regulatory framework. They need to 

reform the gas market, getting rid of 

subsidies for competing fuels and 

making room for private operators to 

develop gas infrastructure. And they 

need to avoid tax and royalty systems 

that discourage operators from using the 

gas associated with oil production. 

 

In the same process, the government and 

the oil companies should equally 

removal all barriers and attend to the 

problems of the host communities that 

had been greatly affected by the oil 

business so as to encourage and creating 

enabling environment for all parties to 

oil explorations and production in the 

Niger Delta. 

 

 

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