WILBERFORCE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCES (WJSS)
ISSN: 2504 – 9232
Special, No. 1, October 2019
Pages 106-122
DOI: 10.36108/wjss/9102.sp.0180
TOWN-CRYING FOR KNOWLEDGE DISSEMINATION ON CLIMATE CHANGE TO NON-LITERATE RURAL PEOPLE IN NIGERIA
JUDE COCODIA & ANTHONY RUFUS
Abstract
Prevailing studies on underdevelopment in the Niger Delta have focused on establishing the root causes of poverty in the region and draw correlations between oil exploitation and its associated impact on the environment. This study supports this view and goes beyond by investigating the connection between militancy and poverty in the NDR. While agitations for a fairer deal is the reason for militancy in the region, this paper argues that the violent approach of militant groups in engaging the Nigerian state is counter-productive to the goal of poverty reduction. Evidence from data collected for this study shows that the militant’s strategy of violence exacerbates poverty in the region due to its negative impact on the environment. While social analysis is used in the analyses of data, the downward spiral theory serves as the framework of this research.
Keywords: Militancy, Niger Delta, Violence, Poverty, Conflict and Environmental Degradation