Assessment of Oil Spillage and Livelihood Performance in the Niger Delta Region. A Case Study of Gokana Local Government Area, Rivers State, Nigeria

*Alfred Stephen Ekpenyong and Sotonye Samuel

Faculty of social sciences, Department of Sociology, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State, Nigeria.

^*Corresponding Author’s: E-mail Addresses ✉: Alfyny93@yahoo.com; Phone no ☎: +2348027907268

Accepted December 20, 2019

The study examined oil spill and livelihood performance in Niger Delta region. The study used environmental sustainable development theory to analyze the missing links in the research work. The sample selected for the study comprised 419 indigenes of Gokana LGA, Rivers State. Data collected for the study were analyzed using mean, standard deviation and simple percentage. Findings from the study affirmed that oil spillage adversely affects agricultural productivity, for instance as indicated in the analysis Cassava production has declined compared to era of pre-oil spillage with an accepted mean and standard deviation scores of 4.01 and 2.01 respectively. Based on the findings, the study Recommended among others that oil companies should engage in preventive measures to mitigate the risk of oil spillage as well as ensuring transparency with regard to payment of compensation to the affected individuals in the area of study. Thus, this paper highlights the oil spillage and livelihood performance in the Niger Delta and reflects on the oil industry failure on environmental protection as contained in the UNEP reports on quality of the environment which contribute to the disease burden of the immediate community. The study reinforces the data in several researched studies on oil spills and its impact on the livelihood of the local populations in the Niger Delta region.

Key words: Agriculture, Agricultural Productivity, Environment, Oil spillage.

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