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Paper short abstract

Oil exploration and exploitation by companies in Nigeria's Niger Delta are directly linked to climate change, significantly impacting the inhabitants. Efforts to address climate change must combine financial reparations with accountability to address the consequences.

Paper long abstract

Oil exploration has contributed to climate change in the Niger Delta region. The impacts of oil exploration and exploitation on climate change are enormous. Oil exploration often led to oil spills, gas flaring, land degradation, and deforestation.   The activities often resulted in pollution, which in turn results in climate change. The region has already begun to feel the impact on food security, high temperatures, increasing risk of diseases, and rising extreme weather. Attempts have been made to address the impact of environmental degradation on the inhabitants of the Niger Delta region, including legal action, clean-up, and institutional action. It is worrisome to note that these steps have not yielded expected results. Oil exploration and exploitation continue to stimulate climate change in the region, and the inhabitants continue to feel its consequences. Recognition Theory is used in this study to examine the effects of climate change and how policies can benefit the inhabitants of Nigeria’s Niger Delta. The qualitative method of data collection was employed to collect information from participants. In-depth interviews were conducted with fifty-two participants in three purposive selected locations: Patani, Ogoni, and Egwa. It was found that, as a result of environmental degradation, climate change has affected the economy, farming, and health of the people. It was found that accountability and reparation have not been attempted in the region. The study suggested that climate justice should include financial reparations to have a direct impact on the inhabitants of Nigeria’s Niger Delta.