The role of corruption on civil society activism in the Niger delta

Bright, Tomonidiekuma and Follis, Luca and Potter, Gary (2021) The role of corruption on civil society activism in the Niger delta. PhD thesis, Lancaster University.

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Abstract

This thesis studies the challenges and relationships between the Niger delta people, the federal government and Multinational Oil Companies (MNOCs). It describes the major problems caused by unmonitored crude oil exploitation as environmental degradation and underdevelopment. The study highlights the array of roles played by Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in filling the gap between the stakeholders in the oil industry and crude oil host communities. Except for the contributions from Austin Ikelegbe (2001), Okechukwu Ibeanu (2006) and Shola Omotola (2009), there is a limitation in the literature on corruption and civil society activism in the Niger delta. These authors dwelt on the role of CSOs in the region’s struggle. But this research fills a knowledge gap on the role of corruption in civil society activism in the Niger delta and defines CSOs to include NGOs, self-help groups and militant organisations. Corruption is problematic in Nigeria and affects every sector of the economy including CSOs. The corruption in CSOs is demonstrated in their relationship with MNOCs, the federal government, host communities and donor organisations. Smith (2010) discussed the corruption in NGOs in Nigeria which is also different because this work focuses on the role of corruption in CSOs in the Niger delta and the problems around crude oil exploitation. The findings from the fieldwork using oral history, ethnography, structured and semi-structured interview methods show that corruption impacts CSOs activism in diverse ways and has structural and historical roots embedded in colonialism. CSOs must understand that civil society activism is an enormous task by shunning corruption and working towards bringing improvements to the problems in the region.