| Popis: |
The Niger Delta is home to numerous indigenous communities, often referred to in Nigeria as ethnic minorities. They include the Ijaw, Ogoni, Ikwerre-Etche, Abuah, Ekpeye, Obolo, Urhobo, Itsekiri, Isoko, and Ilaje. Like many indigenous territories, the Niger Delta is fraught with conflict. Social upheaval in the region can be attributed to numerous factors. First, the region is rich in natural resources, the most economically important being oil and gas, that have contributed to making Nigeria the world’s sixth largest oil exporter. Second, in spite of its vast resources, most of the Niger Delta remains impoverished. The Delta’s development crisis has been aggravated by massive corruption, symptomatic of many petro-economies (Gary and Karl 2003; HRW 2007). Third, the region has in recent years been defined by sustained conflict, mainly due to the above factors and the violent struggle by political elites to secure power to capture oil money (International Crisis Group 2006, 2007). |
