Read Up: Great Articles On Nigeria's Oil
Due to at least a dozen of pipeline disasters over the past two decades, oil has decimated much of Nigeria's Niger Delta. It's a complicated problem: many locals live in abject poverty and tamper with oil lines to steal a living wage. However, oil companies have their share of the blame as comprehensive solutions are not developed. Often times, massive payouts are given instead of humanitarian aid.
The following are articles that paint a picture of Nigeria's plight.
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"Curse Of The Black Gold: Hope And Betrayal On The Niger Delta"
By Tom O'Neill, National Geographic
Nigeria's sudden wealth due to its oil boom seemed like it could be an economic blessing. Instead, it only made way for social and economic plagues with no solution in sight.
By John Ghazvinian, Virginia Quarterly Review
In many ways, the decision to extract Nigeria's oil lies somewhere between a rock and a hard place. Ghazvinian explores this difficult reality and how oil companies decide between running a lucrative business and the welfare of the locals that run it.
"Curse Of The Black Gold: The Cost Of Oil Exploitation"
By Ed Kashi & Michael Watts, Mother Jones
A theme that continues through these articles is an idea of Nigeria's oil "curse." Kashi and Watts visualize the region's economic and environmental plight through stunning photography that capture the horror of energy gone wrong.
"The State Of Nigeria: Oil Crises, Power Bases And Foreign Policy"
By Timothy M. Shaw, Canadian Journal of African Studies
Oil is a environmental hazard, but combining that with corruption and greed makes for an absolute catastrophe. In this peer-reviewed paper, Shaw lays out the beginnings of Nigeria's oil disaster through a study of its politics during the 1970s.
"How Shell Infiltrated Nigeria"
By Al Jazeera
Although a few oil companies have their stakes in the Niger Delta, Shell remains supreme - both economically and through alleged human rights violations. Al Jazeera's video report focuses on Shell's close ties with the Nigerian government.
