Niger Delta Human Development Report - UNDP Nigeria - United ...

HDI, particularly in Bayelsa and Rivers
states. Poor planning and coordination of
development activities between oil companies
and governments help account for
why development initiatives have not
translated into meaningful development
outcomes.
An analysis of HDI trends in terms of
dry and swamp lands reveals some interesting
tendencies for the components of
the HDI. Of the few areas in the swamp
zone with high HDI scores, only Warri
North and Warri South-West have high life
expectancies (see map 2.5). Burutu, Ughelli
South, Patani and Ndokwa East (Delta
State), Bonny (Rivers State) and Ikot Abasi
(Akwa Ibom State) all have low to medium
life expectancies.
Map 2.6 displays patterns in education. All
localities with high HDI scores fare only
low to medium on educational performance.
A measure of the high degree of
deprivation in Bayelsa State, as a whole, is
the fact that its educational index is also
low.
Maps 2.7 and 2.8 show that most local
governments in the state fall in the category
of places with oil facilities and a low
educational index. In Cross River State,
Bakassi has the largest oil well and facilities,
but it has the lowest educational index in
the state. A similar situation is observed
for Ukwa East in Abia State; Ohrionwon
and Ikopa Oka in Edo State; Ilaje and Ese
Odo in Ondo State; and Mbo, Ikot Abasi
and Mkpat Enin in Akwa Ibom state.
Other localities with an inverse relationship
between the presence of oil wells and
educational achievement are Isoko South,
Oshimili North and Oshimili South in
Delta State, and Degema, Obia/Akpor,
Oyibo and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoini in
Rivers State.
A noticeable feature of the HDI mapping
is that urban areas—such as Port
Harcourt and Eleme in Rivers State, Oredo
in Edo State, Owerri in Imo State and
Akure North in Ondo State—have high
HDI scores and rate high or medium on
the individual parameters of life expectancy
and education. Some urban areas with
high HDI scores do not have oil facilities.
This suggests that urban centres have
socio-economic infrastructure allowing
greater access to education, health and
economic opportunities than their rural
counterparts.
Map 2.3: Map of the Niger Delta Region Showing the Spatial Correspondence Between Ecology and HDI Classes
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