Politics of conflict oilification and petro-violence in the Niger Delta

Abstract

The dialectical contradictions of modern states, which threaten stability and existence, are resolved in a way to stimulate social and economic development. The contradictions of the Nigerian state however, are not resolved but treated in ways that are inimical to social and economic development. Such contradictions include ‘oilification’ of conflicts, (the tendency of the state to treat every conflict even those devised or abetted by it, as oil conflict in the Niger Delta) is one of such contradictions. This has increasingly exacerbated conflicts, resulting in the “Columbialisation” of the region by frustrated militant youths. This paper suggests that the nature of the state’s interests hinders its ability to appreciate and accommodate the legitimate aspirations of the Niger Delta people, thus its prevalent reliance on fusillades of military violence to suppress anti-oil protests in the region.