Abstract

This study examines the environmental and social problems caused by oil production in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. It also determines how the military and civilian regimes respond to the problems. It critically discusses the environmental and social consequences of oil production in the region. The subjects include three military and two civilian regimes that ruled between 1979 and 2001. The study analyzes the overall nature and characteristics of the regimes along with their general roles in the governance of oil in Nigeria, the significance of oil to the country's political economy, and the issues of oil revenue allocation in the country. After analyzing how each regime responds to the problems in the Niger Delta region, it compares and contrasts the responses. ;Differences and similarities characterize the responses of the military and civilian regimes to the environmental and social problems in the Niger Delta region. However, the civilian regimes are slightly more sensitive than the military regimes to the problems in the region. While the similarities in response are attributable to the socioeconomic and political background and problems of Nigeria, the differences are linked to the basic differences in their political mandates and orientation. The issues and implications arising from the findings are critically analyzed leading to the exploration of the role of democracy in the developing countries. The study recommends political, socioeconomic, and environmental improvements of Nigeria generally as well as the Niger Delta region in particular. It also suggests areas of further studies