COMPENSATION OF OIL SPILL VICTIMS IN NIGERIA: THE MORE THE OIL, THE MORE THE BLOOD?
Authors:
IMOSEMI Adekunbi
Publication Type: Journal article
Journal:
ISSN Number:
0
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Abstract
This paper sets out to examine the compensation of oil spill victims in the Nigerian oil industry.
The compensation of these victims has become clumsy and dark in the wake of oil Bunkering,
pipeline vandalism, sabotage, since in the past, oil spill was as a result of the activities of the oil
companies or operators. The object is to discuss who is responsible for payments of
compensation to oil spill victims who are entangled in a political system that lacks legislative
and administrative guidelines and framework that will effectively deal with the issue of
petroleum compensations arising from sabotage, bunkering and even activities of multinational
oil companies. Nigeria has become one of the most petroleum-polluted environments in the
world. The impact of the oil spill include habitat degradation, pollution from gas flaring and
these are cumulative and have acted synergistically with other environmental stresses to impair
ecosystems and severely compromise human livelihoods and health. These unfortunate incidents
make the victims individuals and host community, landowners, pond owners and other property
owners to demand compensation. It is hereby recommended that the Nigerian government should
set up oil pollution compensation funds that will make provision for compensation for oil
pollution damage resulting from activities of not only multi-national oil companies but that of oil
thieves, saboteurs and pipeline vandals. More so, legislation that will protect the environment
of host communities and ensure timely adequate and fair compensation to them are to be
urgently enacted.