Economic and Other Human Rights Remain Hostages of Oil Companies

The Niger Delta is one of the ten most important wetland and coastal marine ecosystems in the world and is home to more than thirty-one million people. Its massive oil deposits have been extracted for decades by the government of Nigeria and multinational oil companies. Extracted crude oil has generated more than six hundred billion U.S dollars since the 1960s; but environmental quality and sustainability of the overall wellbeing and development of the region remain a serious concern as more than sixty percent of the people in the region depends on the natural environment for livelihood. The environmental resource base, which is used for agriculture, fishing and the collection of forest products, is the principal source of food. Thus, pollution and environmental damage in the immediate and surrounding areas pose significant risks to economic and other  human rights’ issues.