The discovery of Black Gold popularly known as Crude Oil in commercial quantities in Oloibiri, Ogbia local government area (LGA), in Bayelsa State of the Niger Delta in the year 1956 placed Nigeria among the group of oil-producing nations, which today remains Africa’s largest producer. It is estimated that Nigeria has a daily production of 2.4 million barrels, making it the 13th largest producer of oil worldwide. Also, Nigeria has the second largest proven oil supplies in Africa and the 10th largest in the world. Interestingly, amidst the complexity of ethnic, environmental, political, and social problems besetting environments where this highly valuable resource are drawn, it remains the principal export, and largest source of foreign earnings. Petroleum has accounted for 80% of Nigerian federal government’s revenue and 95% of the country’s export earnings. In evaluating the serious harms that this development has brought to the region, the benefits enjoyed so far are infinitesimal.
The downstream sector of the oil and gas is majorly responsible for the refining, distributing, and retailing of petroleum products. This portion of industry includes oil refineries, petrochemical plants, petroleum distributors, and natural gas distribution companies. They provide numerous products such as jet fuel, diesel, gasoline, synthetic rubber, plastics, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, natural gas and propane. There are several environmental impacts that have been connected to various downstream petroleum activities. Distribution activities has been heavily reliant on fossil fuels, which has resulted in more greenhouse gas emission to the atmosphere contributing to about 3.8 percent from African countries including Nigeria. Other harmful gasses include Carbon dioxide, Sulfur Oxides and Nitrogen Oxides from production which has also resulted to release of hazardous materials such as solvents or ground water from production. Indiscriminate disposal of waste into water bodies has also endangers aquatic lives rendering many species on migration to less prone waters. This has negative economic impact on fishing which has been known as one of the major occupation of the Niger Delta communities.
It was said during a process safety seminar held in 2017 organized by the Nigeria Society Of Chemical Engineers (NSCHE) in collaboration with Department Of Petroleum Resources which took place in Lagos that while there has been an increasing trend in the establishment of new facilities in top stream sector of the industry, its downstream sector on the other hand has posed major challenges in process safety and has shown a need for improvement on the subject mater.
Oil spills during production and transportation most times are absorbed, retained, and re-liberated once the rainy season starts, thus aggravating the extent of pollution. In the event of oil spills which are usually gushed over a large area most times during operations, arable crops including cassava, corn, and vegetables; shrubs and highly economically valuable trees like oil palm; fish farms, as well as other valuable assets are destroyed.
Aside from many other threats that have beset communities especially the Niger Delta, pollution of water bodies is a major issue. Oil spills end up in the environment including water, contaminating waterways, imparting a significant detriment to marine life and sources of water for domestic use. Further, discharged oil often sinks into groundwater, contaminating it. Once underground, the polluted water system is transported within and between water systems that end up in wells and streams that supply the surrounding communities. These communities depend on such water resources for their only source of drinking water. Environments Studies indicate that acid rain is widely distributed in the Niger Delta region. On average, a pH value of 5.06 from a range of 4.98–5.15 is usually obtained. To date, water pollution remains one of the major environmental public health problems arising from extensive oil operations in the region. The health of a considerable number of residents has been severely impaired due to surface and underground water contamination. The bane of these devastations is lack of properly implemented Corporate Social Responsibility.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is known to be strategies by which corporations conduct their business in a way that is ethical, society friendly and beneficial to stakeholders (staffs, shareholders and community) in terms of development. It is a measure by which corporations are being graded to ensuring their socio-economic contribution, and also to creating/sustaining a high standard of living, while preserving profitability and integrity of people within and outside the system.
Now that it has been observed that the activities of the oil companies have been polluting the water bodies, there is a need for companies to come up with a Water Management Projects that will be designed with the aim of continuous provision of portable water for the entire region. Companies must build Water Management Systems and plants that can recycle and eliminate toxic substances from water. There is a need to also install distribution channels that will make it available at the nearest point to the dwellers of the communities. This kind of project should be a main concern for companies to implement as their CSR project to ease the life for the host communities. Water is essential to life, its absence or contamination is a threat to the live of both plants and animals. Therefore companies must concentrate their effort in operational standards that will protect the water bodies, waterways and hence reduce the harm done on the environment.
Government should be responsible enough not only to establish policies, but also must see to the implementation of stringent regulatory measures that will monitor the discharge of waste to the sewer and environment. They should ensure that companies operating in this region conduct their business in compliance with International Organization for Standardization on Environmental Management.
These companies should also train their staff to be CRS compliance; making them “CSR Ambassadors” so that they will be entrusted with of responsibilities of carrying out operations in a friendly manner bringing community dwellers good health and high standard of living.
By
Dewale A. Adewole
