The Niger Delta, the delta of the Niger River in Nigeria, is a densely populated region sometimes called the Oil Rivers because it was once a major producer of palm oil. A delta is a Landform where the mouth of a River flows into an Ocean, Sea, Estuary, Lake or another river The Niger River (ˈnaɪdʒɚ NYE-jer) is the principal River of western Africa, extending about 4180 km (2600 miles Nigeria, officially named the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal Constitutional republic comprising thirty-six states and one Federal Palm oil is an edible plant oil derived from the Fruit of the Arecaceae Elaeis Oil palm. The area was the British Oil Rivers Protectorate from 1885 until 1893, when it was expanded and became the Niger Coast Protectorate. The Niger Coast Protectorate was a British Protectorate in the Oil Rivers area of present-day Nigeria, originally established as the Oil The Niger Coast Protectorate was a British Protectorate in the Oil Rivers area of present-day Nigeria, originally established as the Oil

View of the Niger Delta from space. North is on the left.

The Niger Delta, as now defined officially by the Nigerian Government, extends over about 70,000 km² and makes up 7. 5% of Nigeria’s land mass. Historically and cartographically, it consists of present day Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers States. Economy Bayelsa State has one of the largest crude oil and natural gas deposits in Nigeria "Riverine" redirects here For the use of that term in Maritime geography, see there In the year 2000, however, Obansanjo's regime expanded its definition to include Abia State, Akwa Ibom State, Cross River State, Edo State, Imo State and Ondo State. Abia State is a state in southeastern Nigeria. The capital is Umuahia, although the major commercial city is Aba, formerly a British Important Cities Uyo is the capital of Akwa Ibom State Ikot Ekpene, Abak, Oron, Eket, Ibeno, Ikot Abasi History The state was created in 1967 from part of the former Eastern Region, and was known as the South-Eastern State until 1976 when it adopted its History Edo State was formed on August 27, 1991 when Bendel State was split into Edo and Delta States The 1992 gubernatorial election History Imo State came into existence in 1976 along with other new states created under the leadership of the late military ruler of Nigeria Murtala Muhammad Government and society The state contains eighteen Local Government Areas the major ones being Akoko, Akurẹ, Okitipupa, Ondo, and Some 31 million people^[1] of more than 40 ethnic groups, speaking some 250 dialects live in the Delta; the Ijaw being in the majority. The Ijaw (also known by the subgroups " Ijo " or " Izon " are a collection of peoples indigenous mostly to the forest regions of the Their livelihoods are primarily based on fishing and farming. For the computer security term see Phishing. Fishing is the activity of catching Fish. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture

Coincidentally, Nigeria has become Africa's biggest producer of petroleum, including many oil wells in the Oil Rivers. Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit West Texas PumpjackJPG|thumb|right|300px|This Pumpjack located south of Midland TX is a common sight in West Texas. Some 2 million barrels a day are extracted in the Niger Delta. Since 1975, the region has accounted for more than 75% of Nigeria's export earnings. In Economics, an export is any good or Commodity, Transported from one country to another country in a Legitimate fashion Much of the natural gas extracted in oil wells in the Delta is immediately burned, or flared, into the air at a rate of approximately 70 million m³ per day. Natural gas is a Gaseous Fossil fuel consisting primarily of Methane but including significant quantities of Ethane, Propane, gas flare or flare stack is an elevated vertical stack or Chimney found on Oil wells or oil rigs, and in refineries This is equivalent to 41% of African natural gas consumption, and forms the single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions on the planet. Greenhouse gases are gaseous constituents of the atmosphere bothnatural and anthropogenic that absorb and emit radiation at specific wavelengths within the spectrum of thermal infrared The environmental devastation associated with the industry and the lack of distribution of oil wealth have been the source and/or key aggravating factors of numerous environmental movements and inter-ethnic conflicts in the region, including recent guerilla activity by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND). The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta ("MEND" is a Militant indigenous people's movement dedicated to armed struggle against

Oil revenue derivation

Oil revenue allocation has been the subject of much contention well before Nigeria gained its independence. Allocations have varied from as much as 50%, owing to the First Republic's high degree of regional autonomy, and as low as 10% during the military dictatorships. The First Republic was the republican government of Nigeria between 1963 and 1966 governed by the first republican Constitution.

* State allocations are based on 5 criteria: equality (equal shares per state), population, social development, land mass, and revenue generation.

**The derivation formula refers to the percentage of the revenue oil producing states retain from taxes on oil and other natural resources produced in the state. World Bank Report

Recent Destabilisation

Map of Nigeria numerically showing states typically considered part of the Niger Delta region: 1. Abia, 2. Abia State is a state in southeastern Nigeria. The capital is Umuahia, although the major commercial city is Aba, formerly a British Akwa Ibom, 3. Important Cities Uyo is the capital of Akwa Ibom State Ikot Ekpene, Abak, Oron, Eket, Ibeno, Ikot Abasi Bayelsa, 4. Economy Bayelsa State has one of the largest crude oil and natural gas deposits in Nigeria Cross River, 5. History The state was created in 1967 from part of the former Eastern Region, and was known as the South-Eastern State until 1976 when it adopted its Delta, 6. Geography The state borders Edo State, Ondo State, Imo State, Rivers State, Anambra State and Bayelsa State. Edo, 7. History Edo State was formed on August 27, 1991 when Bendel State was split into Edo and Delta States The 1992 gubernatorial election Imo, 8. History Imo State came into existence in 1976 along with other new states created under the leadership of the late military ruler of Nigeria Murtala Muhammad Ondo, 9. Government and society The state contains eighteen Local Government Areas the major ones being Akoko, Akurẹ, Okitipupa, Ondo, and Rivers Click to view

Activities of local indigenous people against commercial oil refineries and pipelines have destabilized the region. Rivers State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria. Its capital is Port Harcourt. Recently foreign employees of Shell, the primary corporation operating in the region, were taken hostage by outraged local people. Royal Dutch Shell plc, commonly known simply as Shell, is a multinational oil company of Dutch and British origins Such activities have also resulted in greater governmental concern with the area, and the mobilisation of the Nigerian army and coastguard into the region. The Military of Nigeria has active duty personnel in three armed services totalling approximately 85000 troops and 82000 paramilitary personnel

In April, 2006, a bomb exploded near an oil refinery in the Niger Delta region, a warning against Chinese expansion in the region. MEND stated: “We wish to warn the Chinese government and its oil companies to steer well clear of the Niger Delta. The Chinese government by investing in stolen crude places its citizens in our line of fire. ”[1]

Government and private initiatives to develop the Niger Delta region have been introduced recently. These include the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC [2]), a Government initiative, and the Development Initiative (DEVIN [3]), a community development non-governmental organization (NGO) based in Port Harcourt in the Niger Delta. Uz and Uz Transnational [4], a company with strong commitment to the Niger Delta, has introduced ways of developing the poor in the Niger Delta, especially in Rivers State.

It should not be confused with the Inner Niger Delta, also known as the Niger Inland Delta, in Mali. The Niger Inland Delta, also known as the Macina or Inner Niger Delta, is a large area of Lakes and Floodplains in Mali. Mali, officially the Republic of Mali (République du Mali is a Landlocked nation in Western Africa.

Media

The "Sweet Crude" documentary film by Director Sandy Cioffi and Producer Tammi Sims is now in post-production. Sweet Crude tells the story of Nigeria’s Niger Delta.

See also

• Biafra
• Petroleum in Nigeria
• Niger Delta conflicts
• Nigerian Oil Crisis
• Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC)
• Chanomi Creek

References

• American Association for the Advancement of Science, Niger Delta
• Niger-Delta Development Commission, Niger Delta: A Brief History
• Environmental Rights Action
• Climate Justice Programme and Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria, Gas Flaring in Nigeria: A Human Rights, Environmental and Economic Monstrosity, June 2005. The Republic of Biafra was a Secessionist state in south-eastern Nigeria. The extraction and Drilling of Petroleum in Nigeria is the largest industry and main generator of GDP in the West African nation which Conflict in the Niger Delta arose in the early 1990s due to tensions between the foreign oil corporations and a number of the Niger Delta's minority ethnic In 2004 Nigeria was rocked by a crisis in the oil industry which coupled with the continuing problems in Iraq and contracted petrol supplies Background The genesis of the NDDC is largely a response to the demands of the population of the Niger Delta a populous area inhabited by a diversity of minority ethnic groups Chanomi Creek is a body of water in the Niger Delta in Delta State, Nigeria.
• UNDP Niger Delta Human Development Report

Coordinates: 5°19′34″N 6°28′15″E / 5.32611, 6.47083