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Date: April 29, 2024 Mon
Time: 11:11 pm
Time: 11:11 pm
Results for petroleum industry
2 results foundAuthor: Courson, Elias Title: Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND): Political Marginalization, Repression and Petro-Insurgency in the Niger Delta Summary: This Discussion Paper explores the emergence of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) in the context of a full-blown insurgency linked to local resistance and violence in Nigeria's oil-rich Niger Delta. By focusing on MEND, an armed group that has been largely responsible for the escalation of the struggle by the ethnic minorities of the Niger Delta into an armed phase since late 2005, the author draws attention to the roots, causes and complex dynamics underpinning the violent conflict and insecurity in the region. This study is both timely and important as it focuses on a festering local conflict that is of great significance to political stability in Nigeria's multi-ethnic federation, as well as to global energy security considering the high stakes involved as the region hosts Africa's most productive oil fields. The importance of this study lies in the ways it interrogates some of the existing perspectives to armed conflict in resource-rich contexts by providing a systematic analysis of the roots and drivers of violence in the Niger Delta. By examining the complex connections between the political economy of oil and the ways it has fed into the politics of dispossession, the history of ethnic minority agitation, resource control, and the vicious cycle of repression and insurgency, the author provides a good case study of the oil-conflict nexus in Nigeria. It also introduces some interesting perspectives to the linkages at the local-national-global levels in the conflict in the region. Although active in the Niger Delta the impact of MEND's attacks has been felt both nationally and globally. Attacks by MEND and other armed groups have led to the loss of a quarter of Nigeria's daily oil exports since 2006. This has adversely affected the revenue base of the Nigerian government, the profit margins of international oil companies operating in the region, and disrupted global oil supplies, contributing to rising prices in the volatile oil markets. Located in West Africa's oil-rich Gulf of Guinea, the Niger Delta is strategic to the energy security calculations of the world's established and emerging powers: the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Russia, China and India. For this reason, the crisis in the Niger Delta has attracted a lot of international attention and concern underscoring both the high stakes involved and the importance of ending the conflict and building sustainable peace in the region. MEND's propaganda machinery has also been active at the national and global levels in seeking attention for its local course. By focusing on MEND, this study casts more light on its origins, methods, strategies and objectives. It also nuances some of the more complex aspects of the conflicts in the oil-rich region, providing to some extent a basis for understanding some of the contradictions and ambivalence within MEND itself, and other actors, local and international involved in the conflict. Beyond this, it provides a sound basis for grappling with the challenge of resolving the complex conflict, starting with a review of some of the more recent efforts of various Nigerian governments, and calling attention to the need to tackle the problem from its roots. The analysis and material contained in this Discussion Paper should be of interest to scholars of conflict and peace in Africa, strategic and energy analysts, as well as policy makers working in the fields of democracy and development on the continent. Details: Uppsala: Nordiska AfrikainstitutetT, 2009. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: Discussion paper 47: Accessed June 22, 2017 at: https://www.files.ethz.ch/isn/112097/47.pdf Year: 2009 Country: Africa URL: https://www.files.ethz.ch/isn/112097/47.pdf Shelf Number: 146340 Keywords: Natural ResourcesOil IndustryOil-Conflict NexusPetroleum IndustryResource CurseViolence |
Author: Stakeholder Democracy Network Title: Building Bridges: Community-Based Approaches to Tackle Pipeline Vandalism Summary: Pipeline vandalism cost the Nigerian Government, oil-companies and communities an estimated $14bn dollars in 2014. The failure of the Nigerian state to provide basic public services and security in the Niger Delta has resulted in a significant breakdown of the social contract. In the void that remains, international and national oil companies are often seen as a Government proxy, spending millions of dollars in their operating locations through various formal and informal Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and security instruments. However, these efforts are not perceived to have the communities' interests at heart, preferring to secure a short-term license to operate as opposed to a long-term legacy in the region. In addition, the "quick and easy cash" approach by oil-companies in response to threats by vandals has created an implicit incentive to "crack pipes", earn money and survive. In communities, the feeling of anger and demand for attention motivates vandals to interrupt pipelines at the expense of their environment and livelihoods, with many addicted to easy money from surveillance and clean-up contracts. Others vandalise to survive in the absence of other employment choices ignoring the long-term impact to their local environment and health. The environmental impact is immense with an estimated 51,500 hectares devastated by oil spills in 2014 as a direct consequence of pipeline vandalism. In the creeks, enormous sums of money are earned from the illicit trade of stolen oil, often settled through cash and arms deals, fuelling a "cold-war" between entrenched actors and the State. This threatens the fragile and purchased peace currently holding together the Niger Delta. As previous patronage networks strain after elections, and the means to gain access to oil-proceeds are mitigated, old militant tactics of pipeline vandalism, kidnap and organised crime may again emerge to illicit a response from Government and oil-companies. The communities that surround Nigeria's pipeline infrastructure will continue to demand for socio-economic development of the region and based on history, there has been no quicker way to get the Government and oil companies attention than by vandalising pipelines and halting production. The new Administration has a short window of opportunity to address these issues once and for all, riding on post-election feelings of optimism and hope washing across the Delta; perhaps one of the first times there has been marginal support for a President not from the region. However, should the new Administration not act quickly, rising agitation and reduced patronage flows may inflame feelings of anger, resentment and hopelessness, with various individuals and groups, heavily armed and very wealthy, threatening the security of the oil industry and national income. Our investigation confirmed that International Oil Company (IOC) pipelines have more incidences of vandalism than their National Oil Company (NOC) counterparts. This is due in part because IOC's still own the majority of pipeline infrastructure, but also due to historically high community expectations as a result of enormous budget allocations and the availability of formal and informal channels of "easy-money" into host communities for CSR related activities, clean up and surveillance contracts. Our research has identified examples of alternative community based models to tackle pipeline vandalism that have been trialled with some success giving a degree of confidence that change is possible and relationships can be fixed. A solution will need to take into account the successes, challenges and lessons learnt from current approaches to provide a clear direction towards a sustainable and collaborative approach to tackle the issue. This report encourages the incoming government to consider alternatives away from a sole-security response to pipeline vandalism. There is a need to review and reset the relationships between Government, oil-companies and communities as a first step to tackle pipeline vandalism, maintaining oil production whilst reinforcing peace in the Niger Delta. We believe efforts to reset relationships could lead to new social contract in the Niger Delta. A sustainable approach to tackle pipeline vandalism will develop local institutions and economies, increase employment and lift many out of poverty whilst reversing current incentives away from vandalism and towards pipeline and environmental protection. The relationship between communities, oil companies and Government has been broken for too long. Now is the time to fix it. Details: London: SDN, 2015. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 3, 2017 at: http://www.stakeholderdemocracy.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/SDN-Building-Bridges-Community-Based-Approaches-to-Tackle-Pipeline-Vandalism.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Nigeria URL: http://www.stakeholderdemocracy.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/SDN-Building-Bridges-Community-Based-Approaches-to-Tackle-Pipeline-Vandalism.pdf Shelf Number: 146500 Keywords: Illicit TradeOffenses Against the EnvironmentOil IndustryPetroleum IndustryPipeline VandalismTheftVandalism |