1. Should Oil Companies be removed from the Niger Delta?
By: Gledis Muhameti & Rishi Nellore
3rd Hour

2. The Oil Companies in the Niger Delta Should be Removed
Extraction activities by multinational companies including Shell, Mobil, Chevron, Elf and Agip have caused serious environmental and social damage in the Niger Delta, an oil rich South-Eastern region of Nigeria. Crude oil extraction has caused the pollution of the river basin and surrounding land, the destruction of subsistence crops, and the expropriation of local residents territory. local communities has been brutally repressed by police forces, resulting in bloodshed and hundreds of deaths. Local communities, supported by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), have continued their opposition to those exploitative policies. In particular, they demand a full clean-up of local waterways and territories, a more equitable distribution of oil revenues and broader compensation for ecological damage. The workers that are employed by these oil companies are treated very unfairly with little pay and slave like conditions, some report of being chained to certain workstations. Outdated equipment and unadapted supervision are at the origin of recurrent oil spills over the Delta and environmental conditions continue to worsen.

3. Update
Oil spillage drops by 27.3% in Niger Delta as of 2018 reports. These results come many years later after lawsuits against international oil companies for being understaffed and not properly trained or provided adequate equipment.

4. Opinion
The Niger delta area has been taken advantage of for too long and I don’t see international oil companies leaving anytime soon. It’s sad to see how they contaminated the water due to lack of supervision, training, and inadequate tools for the job. The big oil companies in the area have not only destroyed the Niger’s ecosystem but the lives of the villagers who work there as the river was a major food source for many of the villagers . International oil oil companies also abuse human rights in the area , similar to slave like conditions for workers. If the government of Nigeria would consider removing oil giants from the area they should for all the irresponsible handling of the situations that have occurred over the years.

6. Oil Companies in Niger Delta should not be removed
The oil companies generate a lot of money with approximately 1.5 trillion dollars in the past 5 years
These oil companies are the heart of the Nigerian economy, shutting them down will cause severe recoil to Nigerian economy
These companies allowed for increased relations with foreign countries through trade of the oil.

7. Update
About a year ago Nigerian oil companies agreed to increase the amount of oil companies on the Delta and cover more than $700 million cost of developing new oil fields in its southern Niger Delta energy hub.
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8. Opinion
In my opinion, these companies should be removed as they increase air and water pollution in the area. They also treat their employees poorly which causes backlash from many people. The economy benefits greatly from these companies, so there should be regulations to prevent the mass pollution.

9. Political Cartoon

10. Questions
Should international oil companies be blamed for such atrocities or Nigeria’s government who had full knowledge of what was occuring in the Niger delta area?
Would it be more efficient and beneficial for Nigeria’s economy to develop their own oil companies to extract and sell oil?
By closing these companies, what effect will it have on the economy?
Should Nigeria increase the number of companies in the delta to increase revenues?