Oil Hazards Not the Main Worry For Nigeria's Coastal Residents

Nigeria's coastal areas are known to face environmental hazards and risks. Oil exploration and exploitation are but some of the sources of these hazards. Oil spillage, gas flaring, air and water pollution, and agricultural land contamination are serious problems in the region, with implications for human and environmental health.

Some Niger Delta residents are less concerned about oil-induced hazards and risks, or floods and erosion. They are more worried about a lack of sanitation amenities like drains and toilets. They perceive oil and flood risks as being normal parts of their lives, not as major risks. 

Poor sanitation practices, poor location of facilities like toilets and kitchens, and the contamination of water sources in oil-producing communities, expose residents to cholera, typhoid, malaria, and dysentery. 

According to UNICEF, the rate of open defecation in Nigeria has remained steady at 23%. As many as 46 million Nigerians still defecate in the open. Government and NGOs should provide environmental education for residents of the coastal towns. Residents need to know about the inherent harmful impacts of unsanitary environments and poor amenities. Education could be done through the media and the school curriculum, writes Seun Olowoporoku for The Conversation.