Oil Money Divides Nigeria

Gas Flaring Continues to Plague Nigeria()  

Natural gas flare at a Shell flow station in Nigeria. Credit: Brenda Wilson, NPR.

August 25, 2005 Few things are more startling about the Niger River Delta than rounding a curve and encountering an enormous flame ahead. Called "flaring," this is the common practice of burning off unwanted natural gas that comes up when drilling for oil. It's a waste and an environmental hazard.

Summary

Corruption Clouds Nigeria's Growing Gas Business()  

Ibrahim Magu investigates corruption in Nigeria. Credit: Jim Wallace, NPR.

August 26, 2005 Nigeria's next big product may be something it has been burning off for years: natural gas. But in the rush to build a natural gas infrastructure, Nigeria's well-earned reputation for corruption may have touched some American companies.

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Deadly Oil Skirmish Scars Nigerian Town()  

A damaged building in Odioma. Credit: Jim Wallace.

August 25, 2005 A dispute over who deserved money from an oil company ended with a government attack on the town of Odioma, Nigeria, that left the community in tatters. Some residents were killed and others made homeless.

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Reporter's Notebook

Navigating Nigeria's Muddy Landscape()  

Steve Inskeep conducts an interview in Nigeria. Credit: Jim Wallace, NPR.

August 24, 2005 For two weeks, NPR's Steve Inskeep traveled the across the Niger River Delta to report on the oil industry there. He sums up his encounter with the country and its people in this reporter's notebook.

Summary

A Rebel or a Thief? One Man's Niger Delta Claim()  

Alhaji Dokubo-Asari, a Nigerian political celebrity. Credit: Jim Wallace, NPR.

August 24, 2005 Nigeria produces so much oil that just the possibility of trouble there affects world markets. Prices first approached $60 a barrel after this summer's threat to the U.S. consulate. Oil first hit $50 last fall after another news item from Nigeria. A Niger Delta rebel ordered all oil companies out of the country.

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Oil Pits Locals Against Companies, Government()  

The Chevron Escravos tank farm is one of five Nigerian oil export terminals. Credit: Jim Wallace.

August 23, 2005 The American company Chevron faces disruptions — big and small — in its oil operations on a regular basis. The source of the trouble is a Niger Delta population that says it is not benefitting from the oil industry. Locals say the government and multinationals are colluding to keep the spoils for themselves.

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The Race to Share in Nigeria's Oil Bounty()  

August 22, 2005 The Energy Department says the United States depends on Africa for 18 percent of its petroleum imports. That percentage is growing rapidly. The biggest African producer is Nigeria. The fight is on in Africa's most populous country to grab a share of the money generated by the energy industry.

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Kids in Port Harcourts Njamazi slum. Credit: Jim Wallace, NPR.
Jim Wallace, NPR

Kids in Port Harcourts Njamazi slum.

Nigeria is on the west coast of Africa. Credit: NPR.
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Nigeria sits on the west coast of Africa. The oil industry is concentrated in the Niger River Delta (see enlargement), where the river fans out and flows into the Gulf of Guinea.

Nigeria is on the west coast of Africa. Credit: NPR.
NPR

Nigeria sits on the west coast of Africa. The oil industry is concentrated in the Niger River Delta (see enlargement), where the river fans out and flows into the Gulf of Guinea.

The Nigerian flag.

The Nigerian flag.

Steve Inskeep on PBS

Ray Suarez of public television's 'NewsHour' interviewed Steve Inskeep about his reporting from Nigeria. A transcript and video of the August 25, 2005, interview are available on the show's Web site.

NPR Archives

In 1994 Linda Wertheimer traveled to Nigeria as part of a series on Africa. She interviewed writer Ken Saro-Wiwa, later executed by the government, and Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, now Nigeria's president.

Key Nigeria Facts

Population: 128 million (2005 estimate)

Size: About twice the size of California (351,649 sq. mi.)

Year of Idependence: October 1, 1960 (from United Kingdom)

Capital: Abuja

Government: Federal Republic

Number of States: 36 and 1 Territory

Ethnic Groups: 250

Religion: 50% Muslim, 40% Christian, 10% Indigenous Beliefs

Literacy: 68% (2003 Estimate)

Life Expectancy at Birth: 46.74 Years

Languages: English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani

Source: CIA World Factbook