According
to a British research report, Nigeria’s politicians and officials are profiting
off of stolen oil from the very nation they represent. Nigeria is the world’s
13th largest producer of oil and an estimated 100,000 barrels a day
are being stolen. Corrupt officials help export the resource all over the world
through illegal networks that tap into the oil pipelines. Illegal oil
refineries are often found near the swamps and creeks, and are easy to find due
to the plumes of smoke. The average cost per barrel is close to $100, coming to
nearly $4 billion in annual losses. Not only is the nation losing out on its
natural resource but also major oil companies, like Shell, that operate in
Nigeria have reported significant loss in production. More recent documents
report that the problem is only growing.
Although
poor environmental practices aren’t among the top concerns in this article, the
images along with the piece show the careless nature of these illegal
refineries. Small sites that are often close to water sources like creeks and
ports are polluted with thick oil. The Nigerian population not only has to deal
with the illegal activities but the effects upon their environment as well. The
political leaders are abusing their power and the Nigerian society is paying
for it. Towards the end of the article, Nossiter mentions the country’s return
to democracy allowed civilian officials more access to the stolen oil, meaning thieves
pay them for protection from prosecution. It’s issue like this that lends a
hand in effecting the politics of oil around the world. Not only is part of the
population stealing and their officials looking the other way, but also other
nations are supporting the system by buying the oil. Oil is already a dirty
business for the environment, and now light is being shed on the dirty business
practices too.
Breanna Steinke
Sept. 19 2013 6:30PM
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