Offshore operations of multinational oil corporations and the survival of coastal communities in Nigeria

Abstract

This study sought to evaluate the extent to which offshore operations of MNOCs have impacted on the survival of coastal communities of Nigeria. The research was carried out in six littoral LGAs, three each from Bayelsa and Delta States, which are in the central Niger Delta. The design for the study was a field survey using stratified sampling technique and snowballing sampling frame. The sample size was 471 respondents, which was determined using Raosoft online software calculator, set at a minimum error margin of not more than 5%. The respondents were randomly selected, having determined the sample size. The instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire, which was subjected to content and construct validity. A four-point Likert ordinal/rating scale was adopted to capture the various opinions of the respondents. Non-parametric statistics including mean and standard deviation involving the software (SPSS) were used to determine the effects of MNOCs operations, while percentages were used to analyse the socioeconomic characteristics of the respondents. The results on the socioeconomic characteristics revealed that the active population of the households in these communities engaged in fishing/government employment were between the age bracket of 31 - 40 years (34.797%), dominated by male folk (67.73%); out of this composition, 49.05% were holders of WASC, while 68.58% of them are married, maintaining an average household size of 11 - 15 persons (49.05%) with an average annual income of N361,000 - N480,000 (45.22%). The results on the other variables including conflict (mean, 3.256 and standard deviation, 0.65736), income (mean, 3.6513, standard deviation, 0.41631), environment and food security (mean, 3.5387, and standard deviation, 0.37466), health and shelter (mean, 3.5847, standard deviation, 0.41548), as well as the safeguard measures proffered were all accepted. The results/responses were above the benchmark of 2.50, and with a remarkable degree of closeness, indicated also from the standard deviation values. As a result, the study concluded that the offshore operations of MNOCs are responsible for the depleting ecological resources, and endangered the survival rate of the people in the study area. The study therefore, recommends that the Nigerian government and its regulatory authorities should endeavour to take adequate steps to ensure the conservation and sustenance of the ecological resources of the study area to guarantee the survival of the people for the present and future generations.