The Unfinished Revolution in Nigeria’s Niger Delta: Prospects for Environmental Justice and Peace (Routledge Studies in Peace, Conflict and Security in Africa)

The 1990s heralded waves of spectacular forms of local resistance and globalized protest against oil exploitation and environmental pollution in oil-producing regions of the developing world. One of the most spectacular local uprisings against global oil multinationals was led by the Ogoni people who were protesting against the exploitation and marginalization of oil-producing ethnic minority communities in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. However, the hanging on November 10, 1995 of nine Ogoni ethnic minority and environmental justice activists, including Ken Saro-Wiwa, only served to exacerbate protests in later years. Within a decade, dozens of locally rooted insurgent groups emerged in the Niger Delta and construed themselves as part of the social movement for ethnic minority rights and environmental justice which dates back to colonial times. However, the trajectory of the revolutionary momentum has changed over time, reflecting a mix of progressive, opportunistic and retrogressive trends. This book provides a critical study of the trajectory of struggles in the Niger Delta since 1995, paying attention to continuities and changes, including recent developments linked to the shift from local resistance, to the rupturing of the Presidential Amnesty peace deal (largely to the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta) and the resurgence low-intensity sporadic armed militancy―led by the Niger Delta Avengers militia among others. The contributors critically interrogate the nature of the region’s political economy, socio-economic trends and trajectories over the past two decades. This collection also accentuates the lessons learnt, prospects for self-determination, socio-economic and environmental justice and peace in the aftermath of the hanging. Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents Notes on contributors 1 Introduction: the unfinished revolution—the Niger Delta struggle since 1995 The scope of the book The Niger Delta at the crossroads Note References 2 MOSOP since 1995: somewhere between hope and despair? Introduction A political process perspective to the MOSOP struggle Post-Saro-Wiwa’s leadership: factionalization, demobilization and the decline of MOSOP The return to multiparty democracy and declining international support for MOSOP Social manifestations of MOSOP decline: reduced capacity for protest mobilization Current and future prospects of MOSOP’s decline and Ken Saro-Wiwa’s legacy: revisiting the Belema Oil crisis Conclusion Notes References 3 The Urhobo militant movements and the contentious Ijaw domination of the Niger Delta struggle Introduction Resistance and proliferation of militant groups Ijaw and Urhobo in the Niger Delta The contentious Ijaw domination of the Niger Delta struggle Urhobo militant movements Conclusion Notes 4 A critique of the Joint-Military Task Force (JTF) deployment in the Niger Delta Introduction Understanding (counter)insurgency in the Niger Delta: a threat analysis Military deployment in conflict zones in Nigeria: a historical trajectory The Niger Delta JTF: structure and modus operandi Epochs of insurgency and military deployment in the Niger Delta Epoch 1: pre-amnesty insurgency (before September 2009) Epoch 2: insurgency during the amnesty era (2009–2015) Epoch 3: post-amnesty insurgency (2016–2018) The consequences of JTF operations in the Niger Delta Positive impact Negative impact Conclusion References 5 Presidential Amnesty and resource control militancy in a petro-state Introduction The Niger Delta Amnesty Programme Evaluating the Presidential Amnesty Programme Petro-politics, militancy and a socio-political culture of self-aggrandisement The convergence and divergence of militant leaders’ and federal government’s material interests in the Niger Delta Developments in the Niger Delta since 2015 Conclusion References 6 Comparing socioeconomic and human development in Nigeria and other oil-producing countries Introduction Overview of literature Comparative analyses of socioeconomic and developmental experiences of Nigeria and other hydrocarbon-dependent countries Some reflections on the empirical evidence Concluding notes Notes References 7 From peaceful to non-peaceful protests: the trajectories of women’s movements in the Niger Delta Introduction Women in the Niger Delta: between victimhood and agency? Theoretical framework Women’s engagement in the resource control struggle in the Niger Delta The implications of women engagements in resource control struggles for peacebuilding in the region Conclusion References 8 The resurgence of militant groups in the Niger Delta: a study of security threats and the prospects for peace in Nigeria Introduction Theoretical approach A people-centred and participatory development approach Conflict transformation in the post-amnesty era Conclusion Notes Bibliography 9 The framing strategies of the Niger Delta Avengers Introduction The Niger Delta Avengers and the three core framing tasks Diagnosing the problem with the Niger Delta Transnational oil corporations The Nigerian government Political elites from the Niger Delta Key players from the second wave of insurgency The Avengers’ prognostic framing The Avengers’ motivational framing Master frames of the Niger Delta Avengers The injustice frame The human rights/minority rights frame Environmental justice frame The state failure frame The imperative of violence frame Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index "The 1990s heralded waves of spectacular forms of local resistance and globalized protest against oil exploitation and environmental pollution in oil producing regions of the developing world. One of the most spectacular local uprisings against global oil multinationals was led by the Ogoni people who were protesting against the exploitation and marginalization of oil-producing ethnic minority communities in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. However, the hanging on November 10, 1995 of nine Ogoni ethnic minority and environmental justice activists, including Ken Saro-Wiwa, only served to exacerbate protests in later years. Within a decade, dozens of locally-rooted insurgent groups emerged in the Niger Delta and construed themselves as part of the social movement for ethnic minority rights and environmental justice which dates back to colonial times. However, the trajectory of the revolutionary momentum has changed over time, reflecting a mix of progressive, opportunistic, and retrogressive trends. This book provides a critical study of the trajectory of struggles in the Niger Delta since 1995, paying attention to continuities and changes, including recent developments linked to the shift from local resistance, to the rupturing of the Presidential Amnesty peace deal (largely to the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta), and the resurgence low-intensity sporadic armed militancy--led by the Niger Delta Avengers militia among others. The contributors critically interrogate the nature of the region's political economy, socio-economic trends and trajectories over the past two decades, lessons learnt and the prospects for self-determination, socio-economic and environmental justice and peace in the aftermath of the hanging."--Provided by publisher Provides a critical study of the trajectory of struggles in the Niger Delta, paying attention to continuity and change, including developments linked to the shift from local resistance, to the rupturing of the Presidential Amnesty peace deal and the resurgence low-intensity sporadic armed militancy led by the Niger Delta Avengers militia.