OIL EXPLOITATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION IN NIGER DELTA: THE CASE OF KOLUAMA COMMUNITY IN SOUTHERN IJAW LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF BAYELSA STATE.

This study explores the nexus between oil exploitation and environmental pollution in the Niger delta. The case of Koluama Community of southern Ijaw local government area. The study is essentially concerned that oil spill has become one of the major sources of air, land and sea pollution in Nigeria, particularly in the Niger delta regions. Some of the people in the area have accepted the problem as part of everyday living because they feel that oil companies do not seem to be doing enough to sustain the situation. It is also believed in this paper that oil exploitation and environmental pollution in the Niger delta region of Nigeria is one the major problems we are facing today in the region. The study centered on the Marxist political economy approach which deemed it fit to be adopted as the analytical construct in this study. The approach scientifically studies the society in its totality and takes into consideration; the interconnection of social relation, class conflicts and the organic relationship between the sub structures and the super structure. Based on this, it is recommended that multinationals co-operations should adhere to the Nigerian content development and monetary act of 2010, government should adopt alternative conflict resolution mechanism in settling dispute, among others, as a penance for a effective and efficient environmental protection and control mechanism in the country