Journal: Environmental Contaminants Reviews (ECR)
Author: Mu’awiya Baba Aminu, Jerome Aondongu Nenger, Bertha Onyenachi Akagbue, Oladimeji Mudele

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited

Doi:10.26480/ecr.01.2024.26.31

ABSTRACT

This study examines how exploitation of oil affects the ecosystem in Nigeria’s Niger Delta, with a particular emphasis on the widespread damage that comes with it. Oil production in the area has had negative effects on the environment, society, and ecology despite its economic importance. Examples of these effects include gas flaring, oil spills, and water body contamination. It attempts to fully determine the degree of environmental deterioration, pinpoint particular contaminants found in soil, water, and air samples, and assess how oil pollution affects biodiversity. The study is important because it highlights the critical need to address the Niger Delta’s environmental disaster, which has resulted in health concerns, ecological degradation, and socioeconomic difficulties for the local population. Large-scale environmental degradation continues despite current laws and institutions, demonstrating the insufficiency of current regulatory mechanisms. To effectively handle the environmental disaster, recommendations are made to improve legislation, fund cleanup and repair projects, interact with local populations, support sustainable alternatives, and bolster international cooperation. Stakeholders may mitigate the environmental impact of oil production, promote sustainable development, and protect the Niger Delta region’s ecosystem by putting these ideas into practice.

KEYWORDS
Exploitation, gas flaring, biodiversity, socioeconomic, legislation