Forbes: Oil and Violence in Niger Delta Have Global Impact

The Niger Delta Avengers have declared “all-out” war against the Nigerian government and oil interests, continuing a two-decades-long conflict in the Niger Delta. Profitable oil drilling has pitted the Nigerian government and multinational corporations including Shell, ExxonMobil and Chevron against a rotating cast of opponents. Organized opposition surfaced in the 1990s, with protests, civil disobedience and “occasional acts of sabotage” over Western economic and environmental exploitation of indigenous people, reports Terry Hallmark for Forbes. Opposition has become more militant over time, with the NDA using targeted attacks to send oil production to its lowest level in a quarter century. Violent conflict has directly impacted “Nigeria’s oil production and economy, and even world oil markets and oil prices.” A combination of military, economic, and environmental efforts, Hallmark concludes, is a possible but difficult solution to bring peace. – YaleGlobal