Environmental and Socio-Economic Impact of Oil Exploration on the Niger Delta Region: A Case Study of Ibeno, Nigeria

Abstract

The impact an economic system has on the environment is by drawing upon raw materials to keep the system functioning and the left over waste must find their ways back to the natural environment. This paper studied environmental and socio-economic impact of oil exploration in the oil producing area of Niger Delta using data from household survey in Ibeno. The study used interviewer-administered questionnaires and participant observation method and found that there exist evidence of positive impact of multinational company on infrastructure development and socio-economic well-being and negative impact on the ecosystem of the host community. These finding, therefore have some policy implications as discussed in the work.

Keywords: Environment, socio-economic impact, exploration, Ibeno, ecosystem, Niger Delta