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Action Card Briefing – February 2006
Oil and Conflict in
Nigeria In Nigeria, oil is big business, accounting for approximately 20% of the GDP and 95% of foreign exchange earnings. Oil can often aid economic growth – the Black Gold of the North Sea has boosted the British economy for decades. However, in developing countries oil reserves can often be a curse rather than a blessing. Christian Aid analysis suggests that oil economies in developing countries generally have lower rates of economic growth and higher levels of military expenditure compared with similar non-oil economies. (See Fuelling Poverty – Oil, War and Corruption, 2003, available from www.christianaid.org.uk)
In Nigeria’s main oil producing region, the Niger Delta, conflict between rival groups, the federal government and the oil companies has been continuing for several years. Many local people feel they are not benefiting from the oil wealth from their area and resent the large multi-national corporations (such as Shell) that operate there. Militia gangs of young people steal, barter and fight over access to oil.
On 19 December 2005 an oil pipeline was blown up. Local government area chairman Monwan Etete of the Andoni people said that some of the eight people killed had been children. He reported that youths in four speedboats had warned residents of local fishing villages to leave their homes shortly before the attack. For more information see: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4546556.stm
In August 2005 the All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Niger Delta sent a delegation to Nigeria to investigate the situation on the ground. You can read a report about the visit at: www.riia.org/pdf/research/africa/NigerDelta121205.doc
The report makes several recommendations of the Federal Government, Oil Companies and UK Government. It urges the Federal Government of Nigeria to tackle the problem of theft (bunkering) and encourages moves towards greater transparency of oil revenues.
Please send your cards to:
John Robertson MP Chair APPG on the Niger Delta House of Commons London SW1A 0AA
offering support and prayers for the work the All-Party Parliamentary Group has done in highlighting the problems in the Niger Delta to politicians and the public.
or
Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP Secretary of State for International Development Department for International Development 1 Palace Street London SW1E 5HE
expressing your concerns and asking them to take note of the report on the visit by the delegation from the APPG on the Niger Delta and to encourage them to make efforts to pursue the recommendations in the report.
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