SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECT OF OIL SPILLAGE (A CASE STUDY OF PEREMBABIRI SOUTHERN IJAW L.G.A, BAYELSA STATE, NIGERIA)

ABSTRACT

This study examined the socio-economic implications and environmental effect of oil spillage in Peremabiri Southern Ijaw L.G. A, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. The survey research was used in this study to sample the opinion of respondents. This method involved random selection of respondents who were administered with questionnaires. Relevant conceptual, theoretical and empirical literature was reviewed. The target population of the study comprised selected residents from Peremabiri Southern Ijaw L.G. A, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. The questionnaire administered was four hundred (400) copies and three hundred and ninety-eight copies (389) retrieved which constitute the sample size. The descriptive and analytical approach was adopted using Chi-square to test and analyze the hypotheses earlier stated. Findings revealed that revealed that there is a significant effect of oil spillage on the socio-economic development of people in Peremabiri Southern Ijaw L.G. A, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. The finding of the study also reveals that pollution of water is one of the ways oil spillage affect the environment of people in Peremabiri Southern Ijaw L.G. A, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. The finding of the study also reveals that corrosion or leakage of pipelines is one of the cause of oil spillage  in Peremabiri Southern Ijaw L.G. A, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. The findings of the study reveal that is a significant relationship between oil spillage and the socio-economic development of people in Peremabiri Southern Ijaw L.G. A, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. It was therefore concluded that oil spillage significantly have effect on the socio-economic implications and environmental in Peremabiri Southern Ijaw L.G. A, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. It was suggested that Sustainable remedial action should be undertaken in the communities where spills have occurred and this must be accompanied with adequate compensation.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Oil spills have gained more significance in recent years due to their size, the harm they bring to the environment, and the quality of life they create for those who live there. Oil spills have an impact on both living and non-living elements of the environment, which in turn have a direct and indirect impact on people. To sum up, the region's current plight is caused by the unfavorable way that these resources have been utilized over time (Olaitari, 2015). Thus, the region's population is vulnerable to a variety of health risks and socioeconomic challenges, which has long made the population more volatile and led to youth restiveness, including disputes with local authorities, multinational corporations, and others. In spite of government and multinational enterprises' best efforts, the wanton destruction of people and property caused by the extraction, refining, and distribution of crude oil has not been resolved (Times Magazine, 1999).

A few of the issues that currently face the various communities in the Niger Delta region include environmental degradation, inadequate and, in some cases, nonexistent transportation infrastructure, land and subpar housing, infertile soil, and a lack of portable drinking water as a result of crude oil exploitation. The impacts of oil spills on human health also have an impact on the ecosystem and can have gastrointestinal, dermatological, and neurological effects. It promotes more eco-friendly and resource-conserving methods, especially in communities with few resources, where the socioeconomic, physical, and invariably health impacts will be least alleviated and most severe (Ukoli, 2005).

Following centuries of oil production, there are surprisingly few high-quality, independent, and scientific studies on the overall or long-term effects of hydro-carbon pollution in the Niger-Delta. Despite this, it is obvious that oil development has seriously harmed the environment and the way of life for many people who live in oil communities. The oil companies that operate in Nigeria's environment claim that their operations adhere to the highest environmental standards, but Wiwa (1960) claims that the environment in Ogoni has been completely destroyed by Shell's oil producing company's four decades of irresponsible oil exploitation or ecological warfare. An ecological conflict is extremely deadly; this is especially true as it affects unusual wildlife, the atmosphere, the rain, and eventually the land itself.

Crude oil exploration has an economic impact in the form of compensation for economic operations that were disturbed during the exploration process, employment of locals in petroleum-related industries, and distribution of a portion of oil earnings. The supply of social infrastructure, such as roads, health, education at all levels, and civic centers, has an impact on society (Gabriel, 2004).

The occasional significant oil spill has a serious impact on the people affected, especially on young fish or in freshwater marshy zones where the spill is contained in a small region. These big pollution accidents' long-term effects Regular little spills and effluent intentionally released into the environment go mostly unreported. Oil industry use of poorly engineered causeways and canals affects the hydrology of the periodically flooded fresh water supply (Ukoli, 2005).

In addition to gas pollution, other problems involving the destruction of the natural environment, such as oil spills, landscape destruction from oil drilling, pipeline construction, and underdevelopment in the communities where these activities take place, have led to serious enmity and protracted crises over the past year (Adelana, 2011). The lack of sufficient compensation for the acquisition and use of their ancestral land has caused oil communities to become quite uneasy. In these communities, there is a strong conviction that the amount of oil revenue they receive, as determined by the federal government's revenue-sharing formula, does not correspond to the degree of environmental degradation, socioeconomic disruption, and health risk resulting from oil-related activities (Nwilo&Badejo, 2007).

     In an effort to address the suffering brought on by oil exploration and exploitation on the host communities, successive governments have developed a number of initiatives. The nation has been aware of the displacement, marginalization, and underdevelopment of the oil producing areas for more than 40 years. However, none of these actions appear to have been able to stop the issue from getting worse so far. The problem here is not the creation of numerous policies or agencies, which frequently amount to little more than political slogans, but rather the fundamental impact that these policies or agencies have on the host communities. Against this background, it is the intention of this paper to assess the socio-economic implications and environmental effect of oil spillage in Peremabiri Southern Ijaw L.G. A, Bayelsa State, Nigeria.

Statement of the Problem

The risks to human health posed by the extraction of crude oil have been investigated and utilized. The issue is not given adequate attention by the Nigerian government, which mainly views the sector as a lucrative source of cash (Ordinioha & Brisibe, 2013). However, it is abundantly obvious that the health risks associated with oil production increase the disease burden in the communities where oil is produced. Oil spills, which occur in oil production on average 140 times annually in the Niger Delta, are a common cause for concern (Lindén & Pålsson, 2013). A spill of oil poses a threat to the environment, to human health, and does not respect human security. It may take some time for the health implications to manifest their symptoms; for some people, it may even take years for the health conditions to deteriorate before their symptoms become obvious. Lung illness and bronchitis are two respiratory conditions that have been linked to exposure to oil spills and the heat they generate. It may also result in other skin-related disorders. The federal government is tasked with acting in accordance with the relevant bodies to respond to oil spills. The purpose of this study is assess the socio-economic implications and environmental effect of oil spillage in Peremabiri Southern Ijaw L.G. A, Bayelsa State, Nigeria.

Objectives of the Study

The main objective of this study is to assess the socio-economic implications and environmental effect of oil spillage in Peremabiri Southern Ijaw L.G. A, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. Specific objectives of the study include;

1. To determine the effect of oil spillage on the socio-economic development of people in Peremabiri Southern Ijaw L.G. A, Bayelsa State, Nigeria
2. To examine the effect of oil spillage on the environment of people in Peremabiri Southern Ijaw L.G. A, Bayelsa State, Nigeria
3. To examine the cause of oil spillage in Peremabiri Southern Ijaw L.G. A, Bayelsa State, Nigeria
4. To determine the significant relationship between oil spillage and socio-economic development of people in Peremabiri Southern Ijaw L.G. A, Bayelsa State, Nigeria.

Research Questions

The following questions will help the researcher to have provide answers in this study;

1. To what extent does oil spillage have effect on the socio-economic development of people in Peremabiri Southern Ijaw L.G. A, Bayelsa State, Nigeria?
2. To what extent does oil spillage have effect on the environment of people in Peremabiri Southern Ijaw L.G. A, Bayelsa State, Nigeria?
3. What are the causes of oil spillage in Peremabiri Southern Ijaw L.G. A, Bayelsa State, Nigeria?
4. Is there a significant relationship between oil spillage and socio-economic development of people in Peremabiri Southern Ijaw L.G. A, Bayelsa State, Nigeria?

Research Hypotheses

The following were hypothesized in this study;

Hypothesis 1

H0: There is no significant effect of oil spillage on the socio-economic development of people in Peremabiri Southern Ijaw L.G. A, Bayelsa State, Nigeria.

H1: There is significant effect of oil spillage on the socio-economic development of people in Peremabiri Southern Ijaw L.G. A, Bayelsa State, Nigeria.

Hypothesis 2

H0: There is no significant relationship between oil spillage and socio-economic development of people in Peremabiri Southern Ijaw L.G. A, Bayelsa State, Nigeria.

H1: There is significant relationship between oil spillage and socio-economic development of people in Peremabiri Southern Ijaw L.G. A, Bayelsa State, Nigeria.

Significance of the Study

          This study will produce some findings and conclusions that are supported by empirical data. The conclusion and finding will be helpful to;

If the Federal Government of Nigeria has access to the study, it will inform them that the implications of crude oil pollution in communities that produce oil are extremely dangerous and will also encourage them to adopt measures or policies that would provide a reasonable level of protection of its ecological human environment from pollution.

The findings of this study will enable the oil sector to ensure that all oil operations are conducted in line with any applicable local environmental laws in Nigeria or with international standards.

          The public must participate in preventing accidents in order to help protect the environment.

          Additionally, the study will be helpful to students who might later study related topics.

Scope of the Study

The study will be undertaken at Peremabiri Southern Ijaw L.G. A, Bayelsa State. The data collection and other vital information will be limited to Peremabiri Southern Ijaw L.G. A, Bayelsa State. The study strictly treats the implication of crude oil pollution on socio- economic activities of Peremabiri Southern Ijaw L.G. A, Bayelsa State The major difficulties this study encountered include paucity and reliability of data. The lack of reliably data in petroleum sector or the refusal to make available is lengendary. Oil activities are predictable reluctant to share their information.These problems however did not prevent successful completion the study.

1.8 Organization of the Study

This research work is classified into five main sections. chapter one contains the introduction of the study, chapter two contains the literature review, chapter three contains the methodology, chapter four covers analysis of data and interpretation of result, and chapter five covers the summary, recommendations and conclusion of the study.