European Journal of Scientific Research - EuroJournals

Health Impact Assessement of Multinational Corporations Oil Exploration in
the Niger-Delta Region of Nigeria 440
care system covers all citizens especially the underprivileged. Also, Nigeria is a member of the WHO
and a signatory to the World Health Assembly declaration in 1977, that set to eliminate universally all
forms of disease health by the year 2010.
Against this background, it is unfortunate to know of the neglected health and sanitary
conditions of the inhabitants of oil bearing communities in the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria. The
health status of the peoples of this region has reduced due to the activities of these multinational oil
companies operating within the region.
Statement of the Problem
The health neglect of the inhabitants of the Niger-Delta region in Nigeria is an eyesore. The region has
been in dire need to improve the quality of sanitation and human lives since the first oil well was
formally struck at Oloibiri in 1967, despite the huge volume of money and prestige derived from oil
exploration by multinational oil corporations and the federal government of Nigeria. Today, health
problems and poor sanitation are major concerns to Niger-Deltans, Environmentalists, Human Rights
Activist, Social Scientists and Medical experts (Madueke 1960; Atumah, 2005; Okaba, 2005).
Pollution and environmental degradation by these multi-national oil firms have brought a lot of
illnesses and diseases to the people of this region, for example diseases and illnesses like dysentery,
tuberculosis, malaria and hepatitis are amongst the ailments transmitted by sewage in drinking water
and bathing in lakes and rivers. Health problems reported in Nigeria Dailies (Okpowo, 2002, Afolabi,
2005), have also assumed unprecedented dimensions with high incidents of asthma, bronchitis, skin
cancer localized in the Niger-Delta Communities where oil is extracted.
Oil spills that leads to fire disaster cannot be overlooked, as its effects has led to the death of
thousands of inhabitants in their host communities like the Jesse (Delta State) spillage in 1998. Despite
these health neglect there are no corresponding hospitals and clinics to tackle the several health
problems of these communities (Igun, 1979).
Consequently, during their exploration activities, they degrade the lands, contaminate the rivers
and pollute the air, thereby reducing the life expectancy of the inhabitants of this region. It is clear that
the multi-national oil firms have not met their social responsibilities in terms of health care and
sanitary conditions to their host communities.
It is of particular interest to mention and discuss sanitation as a major index of health problems
in this region. Sanitation here means standards of public hygiene, or measures taken to promote and
preserve public health. Sanitation cuts across air, water, and land, for example, air is said to be the
most vital resources needed to sustain life in the biosphere. If deprived or polluted due to gas flaring,
carbon monoxide (Co3) from heavy machines, nitrogen oxide (No2) affects man in varied degrees from
dizziness to death by asphyxiation. Also, the poor sanitary conditions of the region have also made
malaria fever a common disease (this is the number one cause of infant mortality in the Niger-Delta
region of Nigeria. Improper disposal of industrial petrochemical materials collected and retained in the
rivers, streams, lakes which eventually serves as breeding places for mosquitoes.
Another cause of ill-health in this region is the contamination of the water in the region. There
is water everywhere, but there is no drop to drink. This typifies the unsanitary state of the waters in this
region. The inhabitants urinate in them, defecate there, oil spills slick the waters, etc, and so there is
little or nothing to drink or take out of the water for domestic use. Aquatic life is completely destroyed
whereas the major occupation of this people is fishing. Paradoxically, because the inhabitants are poor
and the water-table does not allow them own boreholes, they are forced to drink from these heavily
contaminated water. Drinking, cooking or washing with contaminated water cause several infectious
diseases that may result to bladder irritation and inflammation with the resultant effect of blood in the
urine.
The land in this region also is severely damaged by oil exploration activities. The few
farmlands are nutrient-less. The vegetation destroyed in the mangrove forest resulting to poor farm