Unpacking Oil Spillage and Its Effect on Food Security in the Niger Delta, Nigeria (A Study of Oil Spill Areas and Causes)

Since more than three decades ago, environmental deterioration in the oil-rich Niger Delta region has been uncontrolled with severe health, social, and economic consequences for its citizens as a result of oil spills. Extant research has looked at the effects and consequences of oil spills, while the areas and causes of the oil spill, which are essential in reducing this threat, have not been determined. This paper examines the area and causes of oil spillage in the Niger Delta. The paper employed secondary data from Oil Spill Monitor, Shell Company, and Amnesty International among others from 2018 to mid-2023 The Data collected were subjected to simple statistical analysis (mean and standard deviation), which informed the interpretation of the result. The results indicate that the main areas of oil spillage are swamp, seasonal swamp, land, and offshore. Also, the study found that the main causes of oil that spill into these areas are; sabotage, corrosion, equipment failure, operational and maintenance error, etc. Further, Vegetation, soil, farmland, surface water, and fishponds, were impacted as a result of oil spillage. It is concluded in the paper that the causes of oil spillage have negatively and significantly impacted the environment in the study area. The paper recommended that addressing the causes of oil spills will reduce the quantity of oil spills that negatively impact the environment in oil spillage areas. Keywords: Oil Spillage, Food Security, Niger Delta.