Crude Oil, Resource Curse and the Splintering of Nigeria into National Pieces

Since 1956 when crude oil was first discovered in commercial quantity at Oloibiri, the Niger Delta region in Nigeria has remained the country’s crude oil producing area. Crude oil is the chief source of revenue for Nigeria, yet, according to the UNDP’s Human Development Report 2015, the region with a Human Development Index (HDI) of 0.514 remains the least developed crude oil producing region in the world. This means that the region is underdeveloped, hence the feeling of injustice, neglect and marginalization among its people. Another UNDP Niger Delta 2006 Report states that the entire Nigeria is also underdeveloped and riddled with material poverty. It is the concern of this study to find out why despite the revenue boom from oil, Nigeria has remained underdeveloped and how this can affect the unity of the country? This is coming as a result of the intensity of the underdevelopment of Nigeria and the region in particular and the prevalence of insecurity in the country. We examined the natural resource literature of the resource curse to explain and gain insight into why despite the revenue from crude oil, Nigeria has remained underdeveloped and how this underdevelopment can result in a national crisis that can collapse the country. Secondary sources were used to access data for analysis. Qualitative data analysis method was used to analyze data. The study finds that the continued underdevelopment of Nigeria and the Niger Delta in particular can lead to a national revolt capable of splintering Nigeria into national pieces. It is the recommendation of the study that the political leadership of Nigeria should quickly provide good governance that can take the Niger Delta and indeed the entire country out of the cold hands of underdevelopment