Conflict in the Niger Delta: An Analysis of Resource Governance and Human Security

The thesis explores the causes and dynamics of the conflict that has lasted for decades in the oil rich Niger Delta region of Nigeria. I critically examined the main theories that have been previously used to explain the conflict particularly the dominant greed/grievance paradigm. I argue that the greed/grievance theory does not adequately explain the conflict as it is difficult to distinguish behaviours that could be labelled as greed or grievance. Instead, the thesis argues that the human security framework better explains the causes and dynamics of the conflict experienced in this region. A three month ethnographic study which involved in-depth interviews, observation, group interview and document analysis was carried out in the three highest oil producing states in the region. The ethnography focused on the activities of the three main stakeholders (the government, MNCS and indigenes of selected communities) as well as other stakeholders like NGOs and human rights activists. Two key issues were critically explored: the impact of oil exploration on the human security of the indigenes and whether or not direct distribution of resources could reduce the level of human insecurity and the resultant conflict in the region. A thorough analysis of the data obtained from the field trip reveals that problems relating to governance of distribution of resources and not necessarily resource scarcity are the key sources of human insecurity in the region. The results further show that the three major stakeholders in the region contributed to the human insecurity experienced in the region. Further analysis of the forms of resource distribution used in the region shows that a bottom-up model of resource distribution with the active participation of all the major stakeholders could help improve on the human security in the region as well as reduce conflict.