Socio-economic and one health impacts of pollution-induced land dispossession in the Niger-Delta Region, Nigeria

Abstract

Land dispossession, frequently framed as “land grabbing,” constitutes a critical socio-environmental issue globally, with acute manifestations in resource-rich yet marginalized regions. In Nigeria’s Niger Delta, this phenomenon is closely associated with pollution from oil exploration, resulting in profound disruptions across human, animal, and environmental health domains. This study employed a qualitative methodology involving interviews, focus group discussions, and community narratives, with 75 purposively selected participants from Bayelsa, Rivers, Delta, and Akwa Ibom States; regions severely impacted by oil-related activities. Findings revealed extensive environmental degradation through oil spills, gas flaring, and contamination of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. These disruptions have undermined traditional livelihoods in agriculture and fisheries, heightened poverty and youth unemployment, and fostered social instability. Participants also reported suspected long-term health impacts, including respiratory ailments and cancers, particularly among vulnerable populations, though formal diagnoses were limited by poor healthcare access. Animal health concerns emerged through observations of declining livestock and fish populations linked to ecosystem contamination. Community responses included protest actions, legal challenges, and advocacy campaigns, yet interventions by oil companies and government agencies, often in the form of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, were largely viewed as inadequate and unsustainable. This study underscores the necessity of adopting a One Health approach that recognizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health in addressing the multidimensional challenges of land dispossession. In conclusion, we recommend a One Health-informed, community-engaged governance framework integrating environmental restoration, livelihood diversification, and strengthening of healthcare as essential pathways for sustainable conflict resolution in the Niger Delta. A One Health conceptual framework illustrating the interconnectedness of socio-ecological impacts of oil exploration in the Niger Delta. It highlights how environmental degradation from oil spills, gas flaring, and deforestation disrupts ecological systems, with cascading effects on animal health and human health. These interdependencies create feedback loops increasing poverty, food insecurity, and public health risks. The framework shows the necessity for transdisciplinary, integrated interventions addressing environmental remediation, veterinary surveillance, and public health within a unified governance structure. • Pollution-driven land dispossession is on the rise in the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria. • Youth restiveness and conflicts in the region may be direct outcomes of resources deprivation, rather than literacy levels. • Unmonitored oil exploration poses unmeasurable environmental, human health, and livelihood risks to the host communities. • Gaps exist in the current government and corporate responses to community harm • Integrated One Health are participatory governance solutions are necessary to ameliorate hazards and compensate affected communities.