In this article by Andrew Walker from BBC News, thousands of tons of oil are being clandestinely siphoned from Nigerian pipelines illegally and pumped into waiting barges. These barges then disembark to larger ships, which subsequently head to tankers to ship their goods to international markets. The entire process occurs before daybreak, and costs the Nigerian government billions of dollars annually. Oil smuggling (also called "bunkering") is usually run by politically untouchable "Godfathers", individuals who have helped form a booming industry at the expense of the government and legal corporations. Aided by young armed militants, oil smuggling is threatening the lives of all who live on the Nigerian Delta; the chaos surrounding the process has given forth the term "blood oil", similar to the "blood diamonds" of West Africa. The national government makes no attempt to halt the illegal activities, as they are essentially paralyzed by fear of a military uprising or coup that may rise in protest of their interference with the valuable blood oil.
The significance of this situation is apparent is several aspects of Nigerian society. For one, the fact that the nation is losing billions of much needed dollars to oil smuggling is surely a policy issue, since the practice has had a dire effect on Nigeria's economy. It has also influenced the social climate of the Nigerian Delta, as the region has been thrown into chaos by the cartels. The political institutions of the nation have displayed their weakness, since they have no reign over the potent Godfathers. The fear of a potential political change (military insurrection) keeps them from stopping the industry from further crippling the country.
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Photo Credit:BBC News
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