A Systematic Review of the Impacts of Oil Spillage on Residents of Oil-Producing Communities in Nigeria

Abstract

Abstract Oil spillage is common in oil-producing communities of Nigeria and it impacts negatively on the lives of the residents of these communities. This study analysed available research data on oil spillage incidents in these communities to determine the main causes of the spillage and its impacts on the residents. A systematic review of published studies was carried out and 20 studies were identified from the literature search. The main causes of oil spills were identified as sabotage, oil theft, illegal refining, mystery spill, operational failures, and corrosion. Over 70% of the spillages were discovered to be as a result of sabotage by restive youths. Oil spillage was found to impact on the health, source of livelihood, food security, basic amenities, and socio-economic state of the residents. The major interventions were initiated by multinational companies and were targeted at improving health services, education, infrastructure, skill acquisition, and employment, which will in turn reduce the occurrence of violence, insurgency, and human trafficking in the oil-producing communities. This study highlights the immediate and long-term consequences of oil spills on the residents of oil-host communities in Nigeria. The causes of the spills were attributed mainly to the inaction of government regulatory agencies in oil exploration. Thus, it is recommended that government regulatory agencies should be revamped and repositioned to effectively perform their duties. Interventions should be targeted at addressing the causes of the agitation of the indigenes by involving them in the decision-making process. Also, an appropriate remediation strategy should be adopted to clean up the oil spills.