Oloma Village is one of the remaining indigenous community in the Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers state. The community has a population of about 6,000 people, who predominantly engage in fishing and subsistence farming. Bonnys geographical location within the Atlantic Ocean made it the Nigerias oil terminal. |
| Name | Mangrove forest destroyed by Shell in the Niger Delta, Nigeria |
| Country | Nigeria |
| Province | Rivers State |
| Site | Oloma Community, Bonny Local Government Area |
| Accuracy of Location | MEDIUM regional level |
| Type of Conflict (1st level) | Fossil Fuels and Climate Justice/Energy |
| Type of Conflict (2nd level) | Land acquisition conflicts Oil and gas exploration and extraction Deforestation |
| Specific Commodities | Crude oil |
| Type of Population | Rural |
| Start Date | 10/2002 |
| Company Names or State Enterprises | Royal Dutch Shell (SPDC) from Netherlands Royal Dutch Shell (RDS) from Netherlands Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) from Nigeria |
| Relevant government actors | Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation |
| Environmental justice organisations and other supporters | Environmental Rights Action, http://www.eraction.org/ |
| Intensity of Conflict (at highest level) | MEDIUM (street protests, visible mobilization) |
| When did the mobilization begin | In REACTION to the implementation (during construction or operation) |
| Groups Mobilizing | Farmers Indigenous groups or traditional communities Landless peasants Neighbours/citizens/communities Social movements Trade unions Fisher people |
| Forms of Mobilization | Boycotts of official procedures/non-participation in official processes Community-based participative research (popular epidemiology studies, etc..) Development of alternative proposals Objections to the EIA Official complaint letters and petitions Hunger strikes and self immolation |
| Environmental Impacts | Visible: Food insecurity (crop damage), Loss of landscape/aesthetic degradation, Deforestation and loss of vegetation cover Potential: Air pollution, Waste overflow |
| Socio-economic Impacts | Visible: Displacement, Lack of work security, labour absenteeism, firings, unemployment, Loss of livelihood, Violations of human rights, Land dispossession, Loss of landscape/sense of place |
| Project Status | Unknown |
| Pathways for conflict outcome / response | Migration/displacement Under negotiation Violent targeting of activists |
| Development of Alternatives | SPDC should halt the plunder and revegetate the affected sites SPDC should provide immediate relief materials to the affected communities. SPDC should stop distorting mangroves forests to lay pipelines. |
| Do you consider this as a success? | No |
| Why? Explain briefly. | The mangrove ecosystem of Oloma Community offers valuable natural resources and potentially important food production area. Shell has invaded the community and destroyed mangroves to lay pipelines, without concluding the Environmental Impact Assessment program. This will lead to ascertain environmental, health and socioeconomic impact of their project. |
| References |
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| Contributor | Nnimmo Bassey |
| Last update | 08/04/2014 |