Gas Flaring in Niger Delta Region of Nigeria: Cost, Ecological and Human Health Implications

Abstract

The study examines the relationship between total gas produced, utilized and flared, also the social cost, economic cost and the public health consequences resulting from gas flaring in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The environmental and economic impacts caused by gas flaring activities in this part of the world between 1999 and 2015 were analyzed to establish the relationship gas flaring has with lost economic opportunities, ecological damage and human health challenges. The study examined and discussed the gas flaring cost, the volume of gas produced, public health cost, the cost of pollution abatement technology, social cost-benefit, the regulatory policies, and the reason why oil companies still flare gases. There is no single empirical approach, estimation technique or emission index to quantify the exact impact of gas flaring. The impact of gas flaring on the Niger Delta region is not an assumption but a reality that is supported by verifiable evidence. We find that gas flaring has a devastating impact on human health and the natural ecology. Available cost-effective technological solutions can be deployed by the oil companies to abate the flaring, expand revenue and improve the environmental quality in the Niger Delta area.

Sustainable Environment: A Comprehensive Evaluation of the Effects of Gas flaring in the Niger Delta, Nigeria

“…Other health issues associated with flared gas which have been reported in Niger Delta includes blindness, aggravated Asthma, Chronic Bronchitis, Cancer, Leukemia, reduced lung function, Pneumonia, impotency, miscarriages, stillbirths and other reproductive disorders as well as dysfunctional immune system (Mafimisebi and Nkwunonwo, 2014;Oni and Oyewo, 2011;Emam, 2016;Ana, 2011;Anosike, 2010;Osuoha and Fakutiju, 2017). The noise and heat have become major causes of insomnia and heat rashes respectively in addition to disruption of wake-sleep rhythm of residents especially those at close proximity to flare facilities (Ekpoh and Obia, 2010).…”

Air pollution trajectories and life expectancy in Nigeria

“…, 2019; Oguntoke et al. , 2019; Osuoha and Fakutiju, 2017; Seiyaboh and Izah, 2017). This study, therefore improves on earlier studies by employing the dynamic vector autoregression modeling to estimate the relationship between air pollution and life expectancy, and extended the Grossman's health stock theory with the help of pollution haven hypothesis (PHH) and the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC).…”

“…Despite these ironical and worrisome statistics, there is a huge dearth of studies on the relationship between air pollution and life expectancy in Nigeria. Again, most of the studies done in Nigeria have focused specifically on oil spill and gas flaring pollutants in the Niger Delta region using survey research design, without controlling for economic variables like FDI and agricultural output (Aliyu et al, 2019;Aliyu and Botai, 2018;Giwa et al, 2019;Nriagu et al, 2016;Ogbonna et al, 2018;Oghenetega et al, 2019;Oguntoke et al, 2019;Osuoha and Fakutiju, 2017;Seiyaboh and Izah, 2017). This study, therefore improves on earlier studies by employing the dynamic vector autoregression modeling to estimate the relationship between air pollution and life expectancy, and extended the Grossman's health stock theory with the help of pollution haven hypothesis (PHH) and the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC).…”

Assessing climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies and agricultural innovation systems in the Niger Delta

“…However, these economic activities are largely influenced by the variability of climate. Reported evidences of climate change in the region include, but are not limited to, increase in temperature, changes in rainfall pattern, high soil temperature leading to crop failure, rising sea levels leading to flooding of farmlands and roads, expansion of the range of tropical diseases leading to crop, animal, and human health hazards (Idrisu, 2016;Ifeanyieze et al, 2016;Ikehi et al, 2021;Ito & Ugbome, 2017;Okringbo & Ominikari, 2017;Osuoha & Fakutiju, 2017;Schick et al, 2018).…”