|
Urhobo Historical Society |
THE ESSENTIALS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF URHOBOLAND IN
By
Dr. Emmanuel Ojameruaye1
A
paper
presented at the 11th Annual Convention of UNANA,
Introduction
Over the past fifty
years,
there have been significant changes in Urhoboland leading to a gradual
but
alarming deterioration in both the environment and the economy of the
area.
Unless appropriate remedial actions are taken now, the future appears
gloomy
and our children may not be able to enjoy the same quality of life like
us and
our forebears. This paper examines the environment and economy of
Urhoboland and
presents some of the essential actions that are needed now in order to
meet the
needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of
future
generations to meet their own needs.
Sustainable
Development
There are currently
over
sixty definitions of sustainable development (SD) (or sustainability)
but the
standard (and original) definition is that of the Brundland
Commission (1987) which defined SD as:
�development
that meets
the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations
to meet their own needs�
In other words, SD
is about
satisfying the needs of the present generation without compromising or
diminishing the ability of future generations to satisfy their own
needs. By
causing irreparable damage to the natural environment or depleting
available
natural resources, we limit the access of future generations to these
resources
and thereby compromise their ability to meet their own needs. Thus, SD
is the
interplay of the economy and environment (ecology) and how to manage
both
to ensure inter-generational equity.
Before the early
1980s,
mankind pursued the quest for economic growth without minimizing its
impact on
the environment and acknowledging the right and ability of future
generations
to meet their own needs from the finite resources of the environment.
The
Brandt Commission (established by the United Nations in 1977 under the
Chairmanship of Mr. Willy Brandt, former Chancellor of the Federal
Republic of
Germany) was the first major independent global panel to examine the
connection
between the environment and international development. The first report
of the
Commission, titled �North-South�, noted for the first time that:
�important
harm to
the environment and depletion of scarce natural resources is occurring
in every
nation of the world, damaging soil, sea, and air. The biosphere is our
common
heritage and must be preserved by cooperation, otherwise life itself
could be
threatened�
In 1987, the Brundland Report (Our Common Future, by
the World
Commission on Environment and Development) took a close look at the
interplay between economic development and the environment and came up
with the
concept of sustainable development with the definition cited above. In
1992,
the first Earth Summit (Rio Summit or the UN Conference on Environment
and
Development) took place in
Today, there are
very many
organizations interested in SD and the UN has established various
agencies to
look at various aspects of SD. Thus the body of literature on SD
is now
overwhelming. Economists and environmentalists continue to put
heads
together to find out how to use natural resources and modify our life
styles in
order to achieve sustainability. The environmental factor has
added a new
dimension to the pursuit of economic growth and development. The
promise of
intergenerational equity in the use of natural resources, based on the
principles of sustainability and combination of economic and
environmental
reforms has been one of the hallmarks of international development
during the
past two decades.
3.
The Environment
and Economy of Urhoboland
3.1 Location, Size & Physical Features
The Urhobo
people live in the western part of the Niger Delta region of
3.2 Vegetation
The
natural vegetation is rain forest with swamp forest in some areas. The
forests
are rich in timber trees, rubber tree, palm trees as fruit trees.
Unfortunately much of the rain forest has been destroyed as a result of
farming
(especially shifting cultivation), preponderance of rubber plantations
and
commercial lumbering. Much of the countryside is now dominated by
secondary
re-growth vegetation of palm trees, rubber trees, and patches of swamp
forest
along rivers. However, the is still a fairly large area of swamp forest
vegetation especially in Okpe forest reserve, south of Sapele, and in
the lower
sections of the Jamieson and Ethiope rivers. In the swamp forest,
raffia palms
are the dominant trees.
3.3
Soil
The
soils in most areas of Urhoboland are heavily weathered,
nutrient-deficient,
loose and poorly aggregated due to low levels of clay and organic
matter and
heavy rainfall. There are a few patches of clayey soil which provide
valuable
raw material for the pottery industry.
3.4 Occupations
The
occupations in Urhoboland include farming, fishing, trading,
lumbering
and manufacturing.
3.4.1 Farming
Farming
is the major occupation in the rural areas. The main food crops
include cassava, white
guinea yam, water yam, plantains, bananas,
maize, cocoyam and groundnuts. These crops are usually inter-cropped
with three
or more crops grown on the same field. The main farming system is
shifting
cultivation (also known as rotational bush fallowing) but permanent or
continuous cultivation is increasingly being practiced in some areas,
especially in the outskirts of the towns. In the past, the fallow
period was
about 5 years but it has been reduced to about 3 years during the past
two
decades as result of rapid increase in population and the increasing
pressure
on available land. The shortening of the fallow period has resulted in
a
general decline in soil fertility. Consequently, yams which were widely
cultivated in the past have been largely replaced by cassava which is
more
tolerant of less fertile soils. Plantains, paw-paw, guava, mango,
avocado pear,
oranges, coconuts, pineapples are usually cultivated perennially in
home
gardens. Occasionally yams are also planted at the back of homes. There
has
however been a decline in home gardening in past two decades due to
rapid
population growth and the increasing conversion of agricultural land to
residential use.
The
main cash crops are rubber and oil palm. Attempts
to cultivate cocoa in the past proved unsuccessful because the soils
are
unsuitable for the crop. On average, about 50% of the arable land is
under
rubber production. Plots of rubber trees stretch almost uninterrupted
along
both sides of roads, giving the impression of plantation. There are a
few
commercial rubber plantations near Sapele. Most of the rubber
trees were
planted between 1950 and 1965. The size of the rubber plots of individual farmers are
relatively small
(5-10 hectares) but they are contiguous, giving the impression
of
continuous plantations. The rubber trees are tapped daily and the latex
processed into rubber sheets or lumps. In the past, most of the rubber
produced
was exported but they are now used locally
to produce
shoes, tyres and mattresses by local
factories. Most
of the rubber trees have become old and latex yield has declined considerably
due the age of trees, declining soil fertility and bad tapping
techniques.
Oil
palm trees are also ubiquitous throughout Urhoboland but most oil palm
groves have become old and unproductive. The oil palm is a source
of
vegetable oil and the fibres and hard
shells of the
oil palm fruits are used as fuel for cooking and heating, and the
fronds for
making brooms and baskets. The tree is also tapped for wine. The bulk
of palm
oil produced comes from wild palms in peasant holdings using manual
(old-fashioned) methods. In recent years some farmers have established
some oil
palm plantations. There are also a number of oil processing factories
and
mills. However, palm oil and kernel production has declined
significantly
with
Many
fruits grow wild or are cultivated including oranges, mangoes, guava
and
pineapples. Some of these fruits can be commercially processed for
juice or
canned. Thus plantations of these fruit trees can be established as
well as
agro-based industries to process the fruits.
3.4.2 Livestock
Livestock
farming is very limited due to the absence of extensive grazing fields
in Urhoboland.
In the villages, however, people keep a few goats, sheep, pigs and
poultry to
complement crop farming. A few poultry are kept in rural areas as
sources
of meat. Commercial poultry production is growing in the outskirts of
large
towns such as Warri, Ughelli and
Sapele.
3.4.3 Fishing
In the
past, fishing was an important occupation along the rivers and streams.
The
catch consists mainly of tilapia and catfish. However, there has been a
significant
decline in fishing activities as a result of increasing pollution of
streams
and rivers and the importation of cheap fish (frozen or iced fish).
3.4.4 Lumbering
Lumbering
used to be an important activity but there has been a decline during
the past
30 years due depletion of the extensive forests by excessive and
uncontrolled
lumbering and failure to plant replacement trees as well as
excessive use
of fuelwood. However, there are still many
sawmills
in Sapele and Warri. A few decades ago, the African Timber and
Plywood
(AT&P) company in Sapele was one of the largest factories of its
kind in
3.4.5 Commerce
The
major cities (Warri, Sapele and Ughelli)
are the main
centers wholesale and retail trade but they cannot compete with towns
like
The
smaller towns and villages have markets that hold periodically rather
than on a
daily basis. When it is a "market day" in a particular village,
itinerant traders travel from nearby villages to sell their wares.
Farmers also
transport their crops to the rural periodic markets for sale.
3.4.6 Mining
The main mineral resources are
crude oil and gas. Oil was
discovered in Urhoboland in the early 1960s and exploration is still
taking
place in parts of the area. There are numerous oil fields in Urhoboland
(e.g.
at Ughelli, Kokori,
Sapele,
Udu ). During and immediately after the
civil war, Ughelli was a major operational
base of Shell before it was
relocated to Warri. Today, Shell still has a significant presence in Ughelli where it�s UQCC is located. Shell also
has its Gas
Plant at Utorogun and several flowstations
in Urhoboland. The First Urhobo Economic
Summit which
took place on the 27th and 28th of
November 1998 at the Petroleum Training Institute, Effurun reported at
least 64
million barrels of crude oil is produced annually in Urhoboland,
representing
about 10% of the total national production.4 The
� at an average price of $14 per barrel, the oil produced from Urhobo land fetches approximately $900 million annually or N76.5 billion, at the autonomous exchange rate of N85 per dollar, for the Joint Venture partners. The total value of oil produced in Urhobo land to date amounts to over $25.7 billion or N2,185 billion with little or nothing to show for it�
Crude
oil exploration has had both positive and negative effects on the
people and
economy of Urhoboland. Occasional oil spills have resulted in
destruction of
farmland, rubber plantations and aquatic life. While some of these
spills are
due to corrosion and technical problems, a large number are due to
sabotage �
deliberate cutting of oil pipelines to either generate spills (for
compensation
demand purposes) or to steal crude oil. Sometimes, spills occur when
thieves
remove oil facilities such as pumps and �christmas
trees� to sell in the black market. Some of these spills have
resulted in
fires and have caused extensive damage (e.g. at Ekakpamre
and Jesse). Continuous gas flaring at some oil production facilities
tend to
destroy nearby vegetation and scare away wildlife. However, the oil
companies
have made significant contribution to the development of Urhoboland
through
their community development programs and the employment opportunities
they
provide or generate for the people.
There
are deposits of clay in parts of Urhoboland which local people use for
pottery
production. There are also deposits of silica, especially near Ughelli where two glass factories have been
established to
utilize the silica to produce bottles, tumblers and other glass
materials.
3.4.7 Tourism
The
tourism industry is very weak. There are only a few tourist
attractions
and recreation facilities but there exist potentials for the growth of
tourism.
A small tourist industry is developing along the
3.4.8 Industry
The
few industries in Urhoboland are located mainly in or near the
cities.
With a population of 218,000 in 1991, Warri5 is important for boat
building, oil
refining and petro-chemical
industry. The
development of Warri is however hampered by conflicts between the three
main
ethnic nationalities (Urhobo, Itsekiri and Ijaw) that claim ownership
of the
city. Many oil companies have relocated from Warri as a result of
frequent violent ethnic clashes. The Delta Steel Company located
at Ovwia- Aladja
at the outskirts of
Warri has been moribund for over 10 years and is now up for sale.
Sapele is the second important industrial town in Urhoboland with a
population
of 110,000 in 1991. It was noted for the AT&P company and
rubber-processing
factories. Most of these factories have closed down but there are still
many
small and medium and small-scale industries/enterprises (SME)
located in
the town. The Sapele Thermal (Gas and Steam) Plant was
commissioned by
NEPA in 1980 and upgraded in 1985 and currently has a total installed
capacity
of 1,020MW.
Ughelli is the third industrial town in
Urhoboland
with a population of 54,000 in 1991.There are also many SMEs
in Ughelli. The Sparking Brewery and Olo Drinks located in Warri have shut down.
There is an
Asphalt Plant at Agbarha-Otor, near Ughelli. There two glass factories near Ughelli
but only one (Beta Glass Co. Ltd) is operational. The Delta Power Plant
(I, II
and III) near Ughelli was built by NEPA in
the early
1970s, In 1991, the Delta Power IV Thermal Plant was commissioned.
Today, the
total generating capacity of the Delta Power plant is 600MW.
As at 1998, the Sapele and Ughelli power
plants had a
total installed capacity of 1,620MW representing about 27%
of NEPA�s total installed capacity of
about 5,958MW. However,
due to technical problems, the average daily power generation of
both
plant for the week June 6 to
4.
Impact of Economic Activities on the Environment and Quality of Life
Reduction in Soil Fertility
There
has been a significant reduction in soil fertility due to the dominance
of
rubber trees (which has destabilized the natural rain forest
ecosystem
and the efficient cycling of soil nutrients), the reduction in the
fallow
period under the shifting cultivation system (from about 5 to 3 years),
and the
neglect of the cultivation of leguminous crops, especially cowpea and
groundnuts. To restore the fertility of the soil will require generous
application of fertilizers. However, it is unlikely that farmers will
be able
to afford to apply the required quantities of fertilizers in the near
future
because of the high cost of imported fertilizers and the difficulty of
obtaining locally produced fertilizers.
4.2. Loss of bio-diversity
There
has also been a significant loss of biodiversity due to frequent
burning
of vegetation through shifting cultivation. Many useful trees
that were
common in three or more decades ago are now becoming rare or extinct.
There has
been a gradual deforestation of Urhoboland resulting in loss of plant
species
and wildlife. Animals such as elephant,
lion,
chimpanzee, leopard and hippopotamus have almost become extinct in
Urhoboland.
Even rabbits, antelopes, grass-cutters and monkeys are becoming rare.
Erosion
The
preponderance of rubber trees has also increased the rate of
erosion. In
addition, cultivation of field crops such as cassava and maize
contribute
substantially to erosion because they do not provide adequate
protection for
the soil, unlike the native rain forest. Also, frequent
flooding
adversely affect crops such as cassava and guinea yam which have to be
harvested before maturation. Flooding during the rainy season is also
hindering
the use of the savanna patches for sheep and cattle grazing.
Migration
The
decline in agricultural productivity has increased the rate of
rural-urban
migration resulting in shortage of farm labor and accelerated decline
in food
and cash crops production. There has also been an increase in migration
from Urhoboland
to greener pastures in
Pollution
Over
the past three decades, there has been a significant increase in the
level of
pollution in Urhoboland, especially in the urban areas and oil
producing
communities. In the urban areas, the absence a urban sewer
systems and
waste management/disposal systems means that each home or compound has
to have
its own �soak-away� pit and make its own arrangement to dispose of its
refuse,
usually at dumpsites or along the streets or outskirts of the towns. In
some
cases, the refuse is incinerated. Due to the non-existence or
unreliability of
public water supply, most people now install their private boreholes or
wells.
In the rural areas, people get water from well, rivers or streams and
in some
cases, boreholes. The practice of burying people at homes (rather than
in
cemeteries) is may compound the problem of ground water pollution in
the
immediate future if it has not started already. There has also been a
significant increase in air pollution resulting from old and rickety
automobiles and motor-cycles, use of generators (due to unreliable
public power
supply). The refinery and petrochemical plant in Warri is causing
significant
air pollution around the plant just as oil spills and gas flares in oil
producing areas have increased air and water pollution.
Quality of Life
Although
there are no statistics on the quality of life in Urhoboland,6
there are strong indications that the quality of life has
deteriorated
over the past three decades despite the opulence of a few. Using the
poverty
data on Delta state as a proxy for Urhoboland, one can infer that about
46% of
the people live below
Security
The
poor environment and economy have worsened the security situation in
Urhoboland.
The rate of crime and armed robbery has increased as well as gangsterism and extortion of property developers
by
youth groups under the guise of �development levies�. Recently, banks
in Ughelli and Sapele have been attacked
by armed robbers
killing several people.
It is clear from the above
review that both the environment and
economy of Urhoboland are currently in a deplorable state. If
appropriate
remedial actions are not taken now, the prospects appear bleak and the
quality
of life of our people will continue to deteriorate in the years ahead.
This will
accelerate the exodus of enterprising Urhobos to greener pastures and
increase
crime and restiveness at home. In other words, the prospect for
sustainable
development in Urhoboland land is bleak unless appropriate corrective
actions
are taken NOW.
Essentials
of Sustainable Development of Urhoboland
Establishment of a Pan-Urhobo
�Quasi
Government� (PUG)
It will be difficult to solve
most of the problems of highlighted
above under the current political arrangement. The establishment of an
Urhobo
state7 with committed and
accountable leadership
is thus a critical success factor in addressing the problems of
sustainable
development in Urhoboland. Since this is not likely to happen soon, we
need an
arrangement that will galvanize some elected Urhobo representatives and
the
organized private sector to form a body that will act as an
all-Urhobo
�quasi government� to direct and guide actions that will ensure
sustainable
development in Urhoboland. Members of this body should include the
Senator
representing Urhoboland (i.e. Delta central senatorial district,
as
chairman), elected Urhobo members of the House of Representatives,
State House
of Assembly, the Chairmen of all Urhobo LGAs,
Urhobo
Ministers and Commissioners, the President-General of UPU and about
five other
very important persons from the private sector and academia. The body
should
meet at least once a quarter to review developments in Urhoboland and
take
necessary decisions and actions that will ensure sustainable
development in Urhoboland.
The body should be apolitical. It should set up committees to
handle
specific projects and tasks. Any Urhobo person with requisite
competencies can
be appointed to serve in any of the committees. Action
Party: UPU or The Senator
Timing:
ASAP but not later than March 2005.
Preparation of a Sustainable
Development
Plan (SDP) for Urhoboland.
Soon after its formation,
the PUG should appoint a Committee
of experts to prepare an actionable long-range SDP for Urhoboland. The
plan
should draw on available plan documents such as the NDDC�s
master plan. It should clearly identify the resources and action
parties for
implementing the various programs/activities in the plan. Among other
things,
the plan should address the items listed below. Action: PUG/SDP
Committee Timing: ASAP, before October
2005.
Restoration of Soil
Fertility
This is a necessary condition
for improvement of agricultural
production. Aweto (2002) has
suggested the
integration Urhobo traditional agriculture with agro-forestry as one of
the
ways of achieving this. Secondly, farmers should be encouraged
cultivate
leguminous crops (e.g. cowpea and groundnuts) as cover crops to reduce
soil
erosion and to replenish soil nitrogen.
Replacement of Rubber Trees.
Aweto (2000) has also suggested the
replacement of the vast
unproductive rubber tree plantation with plantations of indigenous
trees that
will provide raw materials for fruit drinks industry and enhance
bio-diversity
and make nutrient cycling more efficient. Given the amount of resources
required for this and fact that the rubber plantations are owned by
poor
farmers, there is need for government support in cutting down the
rubber trees.
A few productive rubber plantations should however be left or be
replanted.
Rejuvenation of the timber
industry through re-planting of trees
and halting indiscriminate lumbering and promoting alternatives to the
use of fuelwood.
Rejuvenation of production of
major cash and food crops including
rubber, palm produce, cassava, plantain and banana. Consider the
setting up of
commodity boards to support this process.
Establishment of agro-based
export industries such as
cassava-processing and starch manufacturing factories, palm-oil and
cake
industry and fruit drinks/beverages industry.
Formation of a joint Urhobo
Investment Corporation by all the Urhobo
local government councils to manage pan-Urhobo investments, similar to
the Odua and Arewa/Northern
investment entities.
Setting up Urhobo Chambers
of Agriculture, Commerce and industry
(UCACI)
Initiating a system of
systematic data collection and analysis of
the economic condition and resources in Urhoboland.
Reactivation of the moribund
industries in Urhoboland, e.g. ATP
Sapele, the breweries, the glass factory, rubber processing plants,
salt
factory at Ogharefe, the Delta Steel
Company at Ovwian-Aladja.
Setting up export processing
zones in Sapele and Warri.
Setting up of industrial
estates, self-sustaining business
development centers, business incubators skills acquisition centers in
major
towns.
Transformation of Sapele,
Warri, Ughelli
and Abraka/Eku to major commercial centres.
Promotion of small and
medium-scale industries as well as
micro-finance institutions.
Encouraging investment at home
by Urhobos living in the Diaspora.
Ensuring security and peace,
e.g. through community policing to
weed out armed robbers, and establishment of peace and conflict
resolution
committees.
Ensuring
easy and cheap access
to land for property development,
agriculture and industry. E.g. by halting disruptive/extortionist youth
activities under the guise of �development levies�.
Improving transportation:
Develop an
integrated transportation plan and do the following:
Expand/upgrade the Osubi
airport (built by Shell Nigeria) from the status of an �airstrip� to a
full-fledged domestic airport and ultimately to an international
airport like
that of Port Harcourt. This will make it possible for larger aircrafts
(including cargo planes) to use the airport and thus reduce the high
cost of
flying to Osubi. It will also enhance
tourism,
commerce and industry.
Upgrade and continuously
maintain the road
network in Urhoboland. The Benin-Warri dual-carriage road
(expressway)
should be completed as soon as possible. It is a shame that after over
15 years
since work started on this road, the Urhobo portion of the road seems
to have
been abandoned. The Warri-Port Harcourt Road as well as Ughelli-Asaba
Road and Effurun-Agbor and Sapele-Eku
Roads should also be expanded and dualized.
There is
also an urgent need to ensure security and safety along these roads.
Restore the inland
water-ways.
Dredge and restore the network of inland waterways in Urhoboland
to
enhance water transportation and natural drainage and deal wiith the
menace of water
hyacinth.
Restore Sapele Port and
relocate the Naval
Base, NNS Umolokun. Also establish smaller
ports or
large jetties at Oghara, Eku,
Abraka and along the major rivers.
Extend the Ajaokuta-Aladja
railway line
(at least the part of it in Urhoboland land or
Environmental Management
Halt illegal tapping of crude
oil and
petroleum products, sabotage of oil production facilities including
deliberate
rupturing of pipeline. Community policing will assist with this.
Stop or minimize gas
flaring at oil flowstations and at the
Warri Petrochemical Plant at Ekpan.
Control automobile
emissions/pollution,
especially by motor cycles and rickety taxis and minivans/buses by
imposing a
ban or heavy fines on polluters. Either the state or local governments
should
set up Emission Inspection Services as part of the Environmental
Quality
Management System. Any vehicle that is more than 5 years old must
pass
the equipment and emission tests (engine off/cranking, engine running
tests,
smoking test) as a condition for annual renewal of vehicle license.
This
service may be costly initially but it can be self-financing from the
service
charges and will also provide employment in addition to ensuring that
only
environmentally-complaint vehicles are registered to ply our roads. The
major
problem will be with enforcement and corruption by officials.
Town Planning: This
should be enforced in all major towns.
21.
Population and Environment
Urhoboland is among the
most densely populated areas of
Conclusion
In this paper, I have examined
some of the
problems of sustainable development in Urhoboland. Despite the
non-availability
of required data, a cursory examination of the past and present
condition of
the economy and environment of Urhoboland clearly indicates that the
area has
since strayed way from the path of sustainable development. Thus if the
current
trend continues, the future generations (both immediate and
distant) in Urhoboland
are very likely to have a worse economy and worse environment, and
hence a
reduced ability to meet their needs and hence again, worse conditions
of living
than the already poor conditions of the past and current generation..
Thus, the
current generation owes it as a sacred duty to bequeath a better
environment
and economy for the future generations in Urhoboland. We have no other
land we
can call our own even if we decide to remain in the Diaspora. Now
therefore is
the time to act. In this paper, I have also set out some of the
essential
actions that should be taken now in the immediate future in order to
put Urhoboland
on the path of sustainable development.
References
1. Aweto,
A.O. (2000): Agriculture in Urhoboland.
In www.waado.org
2. Aweto,
A.O. (2000): Outline Geography
of Urhoboland. In www.waado.org
3. Darah,
G. G. (2004): Urhobo and the
Mowoe Legacy. The Guardian, August 11, 2004.
4. Delta State Ministry of
Commerce and Industry (undated): Land
of Abundant Investment Opportunities.
5. Pinstrup-Andersen,
P and Pandya-Lorch, R, ed (2001): The
Unfinished Agenda �
Perspectives on Overcoming Hunger, Poverty and Environmental
Degradation.
International Food Policy Research Institute.
6. The Shell Petroleum
Development Company of Nigeria (2000):
Information Brochure - Agricultural Projects and Extension
Service.
7.. The Shell Petroleum
Development Company of Nigeria. Annual
Reports (Various Issues)
8. The Shell Petroleum
Development Company of Nigeria.
Stakeholders Workshop Reports (Various Issues).
1 Dr. Emmanuel Ojameruaye, an Economist, is on loan from Shell International with the International Foundation for Education and Self-Help, an NGO based in
8 The construction of the Ajaokuta-Aladja railway has shown that it is possible for the Nigerian government to expand the railway network in the country for both commercial and passenger traffic. Already the Odua Group is considering building an Ibadan-Lagos railway line.
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