OIL SPILLAGE, ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION AND THE NIGER DELTA ECONOMY

The coastal area of Niger Delta is the home of oil exploration and exploitations. So it is open to oil spillage arising from oil damage from local inhabitants, ageing pipeline, blow out of flow station, cleaning of tanks and others. The most dangerous form of oil spillage is the damage of pipeline. The Niger Delta, an ecosystem that contains one of the highest concentration of biodiversity on the planet, in addition to supporting abundant flora and fauna, arable terrain that can sustain a wide variety of crops, lumber or agricultural trees, and more species of freshwater fish than any ecosystem in West Africa. It is also sad to note that it has speculated that the region could experience a loss of 40% of its inhabitable terrain in the net thirty years as a result of extensive dam construction in the region. So, the aim of this project is to look for this unfortunate problem and explore possible solution to problem from a legal perspective. The oil spillage has been a source of concern to the federal government due to the environment impact it has on the area, and has sure set up some ways to curb the environmental pollution in hazardous to the citizens living in that region. A number of federal and state agency deals with oil spillage in Nigeria. These agencies include; National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, Federal Department of Petroleum Resource (DPR), The Federal Ministry of Environment, State Ministries of Environment, National Maritime Authorities. There are also the “Clean Nigeria Association”. These agencies have to deal with the issue of oilspillage in Niger Delta and Nigeria at large. In conclusion, this work will attempt study the environmental pollution caused by oil spillage and how it has affected the Niger Delta Economy, in the end given some recommendation to make the situation better and still maintain a healthy business environment