kebetkache women development & … women development & resource centre 1.2 the setting of...

KEBETKACHE WOMEN DEVELOPMENT & RESOURCE CENTRE

DYING SLOWLY: IMPACT OF OIL ON LIVELIHOOD, WOMEN’S HEALTH AND ACCESS TO DRINKING WATER IN IBENO, NIGERIA

1.0 BACKGROUND

The Niger Delta region is situated in the southern part of Nigeria and bordered to the south by the Atlantic Ocean and to the East by Cameroun. The region occupies a surface area of about 112,110 square kilometers, which represents 12% of Nigeria’s total surface area1.

The Niger Delta comprises nine of Nigeria’s thirty six states including Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Rivers and Ondo states. Some 31 million people2 of more than 40 ethnic groups including the Efik, Ibibio, Annang, Oron, Ijaw, Itsekiri, Isoko, Urhobo, and Kalabari.

Figure 1.1: Map of Nigeria showing the Nigeria region in red colour (Akwa Ibom state, the location of the Project is number 2).

The enormous crude oil resource of the Niger Delta region has attracted multinational corporations to the region. These corporations have engaged in oil exploration and exploitation activities since 1956 when crude oil was first discovered in Nigeria in Oloibiri in present day Bayelsa state by Royal Dutch Shell. The Niger Delta has substantial oil and gas reserves. Oil mined in the area accounts for 95% of the country’s foreign exchange earnings and about 25% of Gross Domestic Product.3

The Niger Delta is the richest part of Nigeria in terms of natural resources. Besides its great mineral wealth, the Niger Delta region also has fertile agricultural land, forests, rivers, creeks

1 See Niger Delta Regional Development Master Plan 3 See Ike Okonta and Oronto Douglas “Where Vultures Feast”. 2007 Pg.33.


and coastal waters swarming with fish and varied water creatures. The delta is a vast floodplain built up by the accumulation of sedimentary deposits washed down washed down the Niger and Benue rivers4. The Niger River from which the region derives its name drains into the Niger Delta, which is one of the world’s largest wetlands, encompassing over 20,000 km. The delta derives its name from the tributaries of the Niger River, which forms an estuary in what used to be known as the Bight of Biafra on the Atlantic Ocean, now called the Gulf of Guinea. The River Niger is the longest river in West Africa and it traverses almost the entire length of the West African sub-region and empties into the Atlantic Ocean5. The Niger Delta is located in the tropical region of Nigeria and has the most biologically unique terrestrial freshwater, and marine ecology.

The Niger Delta is the main oil and gas producing area of Nigeria. By 2008 Nigeria was the sixth largest exporter of crude oil in the world and the largest producer in Africa with daily production of over 2 million barrels of oil per day and reserves of over 30 billion barrels6.

The Niger Delta is highly militarized by the government and the corporations against the indigenes merely because the indigenes stand against the indiscriminate tapping of crude oil without adequate compensation or care for the damage done to the environment7. The region is densely populated with a population projection of 39,157,000 for 2015. (2002 figures)

The traditional economic activities of the communities are farming, fishing, collecting and processing palm fruits, hunting, and trading.

As a result of the oil exploration and upstream activities in the Niger Delta since the 1960s, the hydrology and the ecology of the area have been severely impacted. While the corporations operating in the region maintain that their activities are conducted to the highest environmental standards and that the impact of oil is minimal, communities and civil society groups accuse the corporations of degradation and destruction of the ecosystem. The oil producing communities have sought to articulate their demands and grievances for the development of the region. In the past decades the people including women have taken various actions to hold government and corporations accountable for the destruction of the environment and the neglect of the region in terms of provision of social services. Earliest recorded violent protest in the Niger Delta took place in 1966 when Isaac Boro set about destroying oil facilities and installations to protest the neglect of oil producing Ijaw communities. The protest by the Ogoni’s in 1990s on the platform of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) emphasized the pre-colonial autonomy of Ogoniland, its immense contributions to the national economy, and the attendant degradation of its eco-system by oil exploration and mining activities among others.

Women in Niger Delta communities have not been left in the various protestations and against destructive extractive activities in the Niger Delta region. The 2002 Ugborodo women occupation of the Chevron Oil Tank farm has been a landmark action by the women against corporations.

4 See Sofiri Peterside “Perceptions & Reality”: Documenting The Amnesty Process in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. 2011 pg. 8. 5 See George Osodi “Niger Delta: The Rape of Paradise”. 2011 pg. 7 6 Peterside. 2011


1.2 THE SETTING OF THE PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH

1.2.1 Akwa Ibom State

Akwa Ibom state is located in the coastal Niger Delta region or southern part of Nigeria as indicated in figure 1.1.

Figure 1.2 Map of Akwa Ibom state

Akwa Ibom state borders on the East by Cross River State, on the West by Rivers and Abia States, and on the south by the Atlantic Ocean.

Akwa Ibom State was created out of Cross Rivers state on September 23, 1987. The state has 31 local government areas lying on a landmass of 6,900 square kilometers and a population of 3,920,208 (2006 National Population Census). Akwa Ibom state is endowed with enormous natural resource wealth. The land is arable from the saline water swamp forest in the south, to the rainforest in the North and supports extensive agriculture all year round.

There are large deposits of oil and gas both on and offshore. Other mineral resources such as limestone, clay, gold, salt, coal, silver nitrate and glass sand are also found in commercial quantities. About 70% of the population are involved in agriculture, most of the women are engaged in subsistence farming. Other traditional occupations are fishing, trading, wood-carving, raffia works, boat making, blacksmithing, pottery, iron works, and tailoring.

There are a number of oil companies operating in the state. Ibeno local government area is the operational headquarters of Exxon-Mobil, hosting the Mobil’s Qua Terminal. This is one


of the most important oil infrastructures in the Niger Delta outside Warri, Escravos and Port Harcourt. Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC), Total-Fina Elf and Chevron are also present in the state with leading oil services companies like Daewoo and Costain.

Akwa Ibom State derives some of the highest payments among Niger Delta states from the federation oil revenues on a monthly basis.

The people of Akwa Ibom state have been an important part of the intellectual struggle for the rights of the Niger Delta people8. One of such intellectual products for engagement with the Government of Nigeria is the Oron Bill of Rights, a document, which articulates the demands of the Oron ethnic nationality in Akwa Ibom State from the Nigerian state.

1.2.2 Ibeno Local Government Area

Figure 1.3 Map of Ibeno local government area

Kebetkache Women Development & Resource Centre is implementing the Participatory Action Research (PAR) in Ibeno local government area (LGA) in Akwa Ibom state. Ibeno is the major oil producing area in the state and Exxon Mobil, one of the major oil companies in Nigeria and an American oil multi-national company has its operational headquarters in Ibeno.

Ibeno Local Government Area is located at the South end of Akwa Ibom State, occupying a vast coastal area of over 1,200 sq. km. It stretches from Okposo I at the eastern flank, bordering Mbo Local Government Area and Bakassi Pennisula to Atabrikang village on its Western flank. It is bounded in the South by the Atlantic Ocean and shares border with Eket, Esit Eket, Onna and Eastern Obolo local government areas. Ibeno Local Government Area was created out of the defunct Uquo-Ibeno Local Government Area on December 4, 1996 by the Federal government instrument. Before the creation of Uquo-Ibeno Local Government Area, the people of Ibeno were in Eket Local Government Area – Ibeno Edoh, Uquo Ibeno respectively. Ibeno Local Government Area has thus graduated from being part of Eket local government area to part of Ibeno-Edor with headquarters at Inua-Eyet Ikot. Ibeno (now defunct) to being part of Uquo Ibeno with headquarters at Uquo (now headquarters of Esit Eket Local Government Area) to a distinct and separate local government area, Ibeno Local Government Area with headquarters at Upenekang. It is one of the 31 local government areas in Akwa Ibom State. Ibeno LGA has 10 political wards and 26 villages9.

8 Sofiri Peterside, S. Okodudu, E. Ekekwe, I, Zeb-Obipi 2011 pg. 27. 9 See Niger Delta Regional Development Master Plan


Figure 1.4: showing map of Ibeno with neighbouring LGAs

Ibeno people are basically of the Obolo/Andoni origin. The common dialect of Ibeno people is Ibeno/Obolo language prominently spoken by Ibeno and Eastern Obolo people in Akwa Ibom State. This dialect is slightly different from the general Ibibio language even as lbibio language is understood by all and freely spoken. Ibeno people are rich in cultural heritage, with many age-long traditional institutions like Ekpe, Obon, Uke, Ekong, Akata, Eka-Ebitu, Ubom Isong, Oluo, Ikini and the age-grade system is highly recognized and practiced in Ibeno.

Ibeno occupies the largest Atlantic coastline of more than 129km in Akwa Ibom State. Located in the mangrove swamp forest, the area has rain throughout the year with the peak between May and September. The climatic condition in Ibeno is favourable all year round for fishing and farming.

The prime occupation of the people is fishing. The people enjoy an active aquatic life. However, farming and petty trading enjoy appreciative notice as the fishing business decline even as oil exploitation increases. The presence of oil exploration activities of Exxon Mobil and other service companies influence activities both upstream and downstream.

Ibeno has an estimated population of 75,380 persons according to the 2006 National Census; with 41,311 males and 34,069 females.

The criteria for selecting Ibeno for the PAR included the following:

The existence of the oil mineral resources in the LGA

The method of extracting the oil is affecting women negatively

There is need to research on the ocean resources and livelihood status of the women.

There is need to identify how to eliminate the hazards associated with the oil extraction.


2.0 OBJECTIVE OF THE PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH (PAR)

The overall objective of the PAR process in Ibeno LGA of Akwa Ibom state is to assess the

economic and social impact of oil exploitation on women.

The specific objectives are as follows:

To develop knowledge, and build consciousness of women in Ibeno communities on

the negative impacts of the extractive industry.

To provide a platform for Ibeno women to project their voices and express

themselves.

To build linkages and solidarity among community women groups in Ibeno.

3.0 METHODOLOGY OF THE PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH

Decisions about the PAR methodology were taken by consensus between Kebetkache and Ibeno women during the formation of research teams. It is against this background and understanding that the target communities in Ibeno were identified and methodologies selected.

Three research teams were created out of the 25 community women that were trained. However the participants for the capacity building training on PAR were drawn from Ukpenekang, Mkpanak and Iwuo-Achang communities in the Ibeno. The trained women decided that the PAR should be conducted in the rural riverine communities; and so each research team identified target communities for their actions. Team one identified Iwuokpom Opolom; Team two identified Okoritak while team three idenfied Ndito Eka Ipa. Thus three (3) communities were sampled including Iwuokpom Opolom, Okoritak and Ndito Eka Ipa. All three (3) communities are riverine coastal communities.

The PAR relied on the following methods for information gathering:

Public Meeting: Two Public meetings were held in Iwgokpom Opolom and Ndito Eka Ipa. Composition of participants was representative of different interests (stakeholder categories) including Chiefs, youths, community secretary, women, girls, widows. At least 50 persons participated in the public meeting in Igwokpom Opolom including 2 chiefs, 10 male youths including the community secretary and over 30 women and girls. The lack of a town hall in Ndito Eka Ipa community limited the number of participants to below 30. In Okoritak, the public meeting was more or less disrupted by improper consultation with the men and youths in the community.

Video: There is video footage of most of the PAR activities conducted including the capacity building training, video screening/public meeting in Igwokpom Opolom; transect walk; video interviews and the focus group discussion with the youths in Okoritak; focus group discussion with the women.

Transect walk: Transect walk was conducted in Igwokpom Opolom, Okoritak and Ndito Eka Iba. Our local facilitators and research assistants facilitated the transect walk. They were charged with the responsibility of identifying critical areas to visit during the walk and helping in translation and explanation when necessary.

Story telling: There were critical story tellers during the process including a widow, a traditional birth attendant and the nurse all respondents in Igwokpom Opolom community.


Cultural display: Women in Igwokpom Opolom presented a cultural display during the public meeting in their community.

Interview: About 7 women have been interviewed during the entire processes to speak on livelihood, health and water related issues in Ibeno.

Consultation with chiefs and youths: Three community chiefs were consulted during the entire process.

Film screening: During the entire process two video documentary have so far been screened. The first is the “Naked Option” screened during the capacity building training on PAR for the women. While the “Poison Fire” was screened during the public Meeting in Igwokpom Opolom. In Ndito Eka Iba there was no generator in the community to hire during the public meeting with community members. In Okoritak, the meeting was disrupted so the documentary could not be screened.

Social mapping: So far social mapping of Igwokpom Opolom and Atata community have been undertaken. Other communities including Ukpenekang (the local government headquarters), Mkpanak, where Mobil QIT is located and Igwo Achang were mapped during the capacity building training.

Photography: Photographs were taken during most of the activities including the video screening in Igwokpom Opolom, transect in walk in Iwgokpom Opolom; transect walk in Okoritak and public meetings.

Oral history: some of the research participants have endeavored to provide the oral history of Ibeno LGA.

4.0 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

What are the two main issues or problems facing women in the community?

Which of the problems is most critical to women?

How often does the problem occur?

What are the causes of the problem?

What are the solutions to the problem or what measures can be adopted to address the problems?

What are the sources of livelihood?

What were the sources of livelihood before oil activities started in the community?

Who is destroying the livelihood?

What are the reasons for the destruction?

What should be done (by whom) to improve the livelihood status of community women?

What are the alternative sources of livelihood for women?

Can livelihood be adapted in the short to medium term to current circumstances?

What can be done to stop the destruction of the sources of livelihood?

What are the existing economic empowerment programs for women?

Who is supporting, implementing such economic empowerment programs?

Are the programs appropriate/relevant to women in the community?

Who is polluting the waters?

What are the reasons for the pollution?

What can be done to stop the pollution?

What can be done to improve access to clean drinking water in the community?


5.0 METHOD OF THE DATA ANALYSIS

We adopted a descriptive method of data analysis to explain information gathered from the respondents.

6.0 RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS

Research participants were identified at the inception of the PAR project during the process of consultations and dialogue with the women. The research participants constituted the trainees in the capacity building training on PAR. These participants are from Ukpenekang, Mkpanak and Iwuo-Achang communities (all located in urban area) in the Ibeno LGA. Ukpenekang is the local government headquarter; Mkpanak hosts Exxon-Mobil operational headquarters, the Qua Iboe Terminal (QIT), while the major market in Ibeno LGA is located in Igwo-Achang.

The trained women decided that the PAR should be conducted in the rural riverine communities; and so each research team identified target communities for their actions. Team one identified Iwuokpom Opolom; Team two identified Okoritak while team three idenfied Ndito Eka Ipa. Thus three (3) communities were sampled including Iwuokpom Opolom, Okoritak and Ndito Eka Ipa. All three (3) communities are riverine coastal communities.

Research participants have been part of all the PAR activities conducted in Ibeno, apart from the initial consultations done by with the Kebetkache team. The research participants have been responsible for the all other necessary community consultation and mobilization. Many of those trained were not available for their team actions which explain why some activities for some of the research teams have not been conducted.

There is regular dialogue and meetings with the research team before and after every activity. This has enabled Kebetkache to draw conclusions on research results and identification of follow-up actions to address identified issues.

7.0 OVERALL FINDINGS

The women identified livelihood issues to address the poverty situation among community women and the health issues including access to clean drinking water are the priority issues for the PAR to focus on. Therefore the findings are focused majorly on livelihood and health related issues.

7.1 Livelihood

The PAR revealed that the sources of livelihood for women are

1. Fishing

2. Farming

3. Trading on crayfish; smoked fish and fresh fish.

4. Palm oil processing.

5. Drying of Crayfish.

6. Hewing and marketing of firewood

7. Weaving of mat

8. Boat building


9. Making of net

10. Making of fish racket (‘Akasi’ in local dialect)

The destroyers of women’s livelihood are:

Exxon Mobil through gas flaring, and oil spillage

Network drilling

The oil spillage affect our water, land, health and roof.

Sea pirates also disrupt livelihoods because they attack fisher men and women on the sea

Flooding

Fire disaster

Human activities

The PAR also revealed that in Igwokpom Opolom women lack viable sources of livelihood. Women used to be involved in fishing and marketing of seafood but oil activities have disrupted these sources of livelihood.

Speaking on sources of livelihood Agnes Ifum of Igwokpom Opolom said that women have no sustainable means of livelihood. According to her, before the venture of oil companies, women used to relate with the river and sea for everything, since they live on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. She said they depended on aquatic lives for food and income. Thus, women were sourcing fish, crayfish, crab, and other sea food but currently the situation has changed. Mobil oil activities have disrupted that economic life of the women through regular spillage of oil into the sea. She said the people still live in thatched houses and the roof is constantly damaged from effects of gas flaring.

Women are differently impacted from men because they constitute majority of the subsistence farmers and fisher folks. When farmlands are polluted and destroyed, economic activities of women are disrupted and family income is affected and finding alternative source of income is challenging. Men own the land that women farm on and compensation are paid to men who own the land not the women who do the farming. Men are the community leaders and gatekeepers so they are the ones who negotiate with companies and relate with government officials so they easily become contractors with the corporation and government.

7.2 Health

The drilling makes the houses to vibrate. In fact, since 1970 when Mobil started their activities in Igwokpom-Opolum. Young women age quickly because of impact of gas flare and drinking polluted water. There is no hospital in Igwo-Obom Opolum. There is a one room Health Post popularly called “Drug Store” by community members. The drug store was provided by New Nigeria Foundation (NNF) a non-governmental organization in 2006. There are three staff (2 females and 1 male nurse) in the Drug Store, who are paid by the State Ministry of Health. The drug store has one table, a chair and few drugs. According to Mr. Friday, the Community Nursing Officer, the health personnel have challenges because of the small space. About 250 children died of diarrhea in Igwokpom-Opolom in 2014 because of drinking polluted water. Once a year they receive supply paltry supplies of medication from Exxon Mobil Clinic. The drug store cannot offer maternity services, so pregnant women are referred to the Polyclinic at Ukpenekang, the local government headquarters. But the women do not go because of the distance. They would have to take a boat from Igwokpom-Opolom to Okoroutip before a taking a motorbike to Ukpenekang. For this reason, pregnant women patronize traditional birth attendants (TBAs) and churches. Kebetkache identified


three traditional birth attendants in the community with a population of about 5,000 persons with over 2000 women. A visit to the thatched house of one of the TBAS, we found out that she has on board 3 clients; among them 18 year old Veronica, with her one month old baby girl; second client with a one week old baby boy and the third client still heavily pregnant but under labour. Veronica has spent one month not because she has complications but because her husband cannot pay the N1,000 delivery fee. So the midwife detains her. Veronica would like to learn fashion designing if she has the opportunity to learn a skill. The 3 clients all occupy separate rooms within the thatched bungalow and the midwife is feeding them all.

From left: TBA, Emem, Veronica with Baby, Idongesit Umoh, Constance Meju and TBA.

According to the TBAs, they have never participated in any government training on safe motherhood and would so like to be exposed to such training. They also said that they do not have any form medical equipment to aid them in their work, they use their bare hands during delivery, makes the babies and the women vulnerable to infections; Therefore they need consumables such as hand gloves, Dettol, cotton-wool, methylated spirit, Macintosh, Vaseline, blankets and other form of beddings.

Common ailment in the community include:

Skin rashes

Cancer of the skin

Malaria

Worm infestation

Diarrhea

Internal heat

The only source of drinking water in Igwokpom community is the well. In Okoritak community we found community members getting water from an abandoned oil well with


the Christmas tree still intact. The well had been abandoned many years ago by Shell. In communities where some people have borehole the water is full of iron and is rusted.

One of the female nurses said even some women who were reactive to HIV tested refused to go to Polyclinic at Ukpenekang for confirmatory test and treatment.

8.0 WAY FORWARD

The Research participants said Ibeno women actions have dialogued with community leaders and company officials on the conditions in the coastal communities but no action has been taken. They have also been involved in peaceful demonstrations. Therefore, the women resolved on the following as the way forward:

Women need information and education.

Vocational skills such as net making; bead making; hat making; sewing; perfume making; soap making etc.

Women need capital to start trading;

Training on Advocacy for the women

Radio discussion: To be done in June 2015 after the swearing in of the new Governor.

Advocacy visits to the ward Councilors, supervisory councilor for Health and the Director for Health

Meeting with the Public Affairs Manager at Exxon Mobil

Meeting with the Local Government chairman.

Training for TBAs on Safe Motherhood

Provision of consumables for TBAs

HIV/AIDS awareness, Testing and Counseling

We put a call through to the ward councilor and the supervisory councilor for health and he said Kebetkache should submit a letter to the Chairman seeking audience with the chairman to discuss the issues.

We have also discussed with the Small Medium Scale Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) to see how vocational skills will be provided to women in the communities.

We have discussed with the Akwa Ibom Broadcasting Corporation and Atlantic FM to feature the women in the month of June to discuss their issues in June.

8.1 Output

2 community leaders consulted.

19 women consulted during community dialogue

25 women trained on PAR

Research Teams Formed

Social mapping of communities conducted

Video documentary “Naked Options” screened.

“Poisoned Fire” Documentary screened

Transect walk conducted in 2 communities.


2 Public Meetings Held

Video interviews conducted

Dialogue/meetings with women held

9.0 CHALLENGES

The pressure of expectations: It is not possible to do research without affecting the lives of the research subject. This becomes even more serious from a feminist perspective where the subject and the researcher can share knowledge and solidarity. The team sensed growing researcher apathy, where respondents were becoming irritated at being considered objects of curiosity by many researchers, without any commensurate transformation of their conditions. The respondents expressed genuine fears and aspirations, but have a little hope that because it is participatory the identified interventions as way forward would be implemented. Designing interventions that will lead to the transfer of skills: From the participatory action research, it is also clear that we must design intervention strategies that will encourage advocacy by selves for selves rather than by others for others. Beneficiaries are encouraged to include dynamic plans of action that can affect the broader constituency they represent. Sustaining links: Beneficiaries are encouraged to evolve dynamic plans of action that can affect the broader constituency they represent. The training interventions should seek to incorporate strategies that will allow for post PAR evaluation and monitoring of the beneficiaries’ post workshop activities. WoMIN’s commitment: PAR, Capacity building and advocacy are per force a long-term, high cost project that must also be viewed as a process.

10.0 ACTIVITIES IMPLEMENTED

This report covers summary of activities implemented between the months of May 2014 and May 2015.

10.1 Community Entry: Consultation with chief

Kebetkache team of Emem J. Okon, Idongesit Umoh, Inyene Benedicta Kingsley Anorue, Idongesit Alexander, Friday Ekanem and Prof Roibito Ekanem met with the His Royal Highness Obong Elder J. T. Eshiett, the village head of Ukpenekang.

Emem introduced the delegation from Kebetkache Women Development & Resource Centre and went ahead to narrate the purpose of the meeting and the nature of the PAR to be conducted in Ibeno with the women with the support of WoMin.

She told Obong Eshiett that Kebetkache belongs to a network of women organizations who work on the extractive industries called WoMin, an Africa wide network, and that WoMin is currently conducting participatory action research in nine African countries including Nigeria. Kebetkache Women Development & Resource Centre being the lead organization decides to locate the project in Ibeno. The she said the reason is that women are affected differently by the oil activities and that the activity will look at are women benefitting from the oil company operating in their communities; do women have access to what they want


or do oil companies listen to the women when there is need. There will be a film production from the research.

The Obong responded by saying that in their community village head is not addressed as chiefs but as Obong. He said there have been many visits by different groups but nothing in the community has changed for the benefit of the people. He asked how the research will benefit the community. They need to see positive impact. He asked if the beneficiaries are only women. Emem explained the report will go a long way to confirm that there is still degradation in the community and that the complaints of the people are genuine and also the report will bring community challenges to the front burner.

Obong Eshiet expressed his support for the project and said he expects a positive outcome from the project.

10.2 Community dialogue with women

There were 19 women in attendance during the community dialogue. Together with the women Emem Okon facilitated a session on understanding the project and the participatory action research. The community women explained that participatory means everybody contributes ideas and join hands to work together; everyone is involved. Action means “doing something”; or carrying out; implementing. On research they contributed as follows:

Finding out

Ideas

Recording

Analysis

Inputs

Output

Information gathering

Report

Video/documentary

The women identified the following as the rationale for the PAR in Ibeno:

Existence of the oil mineral

Method of extracting the oil is affecting women negatively

Need to research on the ocean resources

There is need to identify how to eliminate the hazards.

The women identified the following problems in the local government area:

Poverty

Health hazards

Transportation challenges

No clean drinking water

Poor communication network

Poor power supply

On the benefits of PAR to the women came up with the following:

Women are more vulnerable therefore findings and solutions will be of help to the women.

Women will understand the negative impacts of the extractive industry.


Women will learn from the research process and will adopt coping strategies.

The capacity of the women will be built on research and advocacy.

Women will become more visible in the local government area, particularly in the target communities.

PAR will promote women activism in the local government area.

The discussion also revealed that Ibeno local government area has 10 political wards and 26 villages. Ms. Okon made the women to understand that PAR will not be implemented in the 10 wards nor in the 26 villages, so it is advisable to strategically select communities that will be better impacted by a PAR activity. It was decided that PAR will focus on the riverine communities because they constitute the most deprived and polluted in the local government area.

Ibeno is the major oil producing local government area in Akwa Ibom state. In 2008 Akwa Ibom became the highest oil producing state in Nigeria, when more oil wells were given to it from Rivers and Cross River states.

The community stakeholders were identified to include:

Chiefs/community leaders

Youths

Women

Farmers

Traders

Fisher folks

Non-indegenes including oil company staff

As part of the solutions to the problems identified the women said affected women will require

Capacity building and training

Grants and loans. 10.3 Capacity building on PAR

A two day capacity building training was conducted for 25 women drawn from different 5 villages in Ibeno Local Government Area. The expectations of the women from the training were identified as follows:

To participate and also contribute ideas on women research.

My expectation is money and every good things in life

“I want money, I want you to train us”

To learn about research and meet with other women

To learn how pollution have affected my environment

“I want to acquire more knowledge from this training in order to make me vibrant

anywhere I go”

“Letting me know the right to live, and also exposing me to meet up with today’s

standard”

I expect to know more things that is happening in my community and to have

change


I come here to have some knowledge, so I can move from one place to another,

from nobody to somebody

To know how the seminar is going to benefit the women of Ibeno

Women to know their right and what is happening in our community

To be able to participate and understand the functions of research

My expectation is that I will derive good things that I can use to help my community

My expectation is to know about the cheating the oil company cheat the

community

To be motivated on the effect of mining, with regards to women

Film Screening: the video documentary titled “Naked Options” was screened. After which discussions around the documentary revealed the following from the women:

The effect of oil spillage in community, learnt from the last conclude movie watched 1. The effect of oil spillage was seen in following areas:

i. Air

ii. Land

iii. Water

iv. Health of the people

v. It exposes the community to famine, poverty, ill health (sickness) which

results to constant death and some result to deafness and blindness.

vi. It also causes loss of pregnancies and miscarriages, which reduces the

population of the community and Nigeria at large.

2. The effect of gas flare was also seen on their roof, which exposed to drinking acidic

rain water.

3. Technology is good but it should not be to the detriment of the people (women and

children).

4. Government is taking sides and supporting the activities of the company.

5. There was too much suffering in the communities covered by the film. This is just an

indication of what is going on in the entire Niger Delta communities.

6. In the film, women were united and spoke with one voice

7. They shared themselves into group to avoid tiredness

8. The extent of damage was enormous –e.g.: roof, farm land, sea, stream, health and

unemployment

9. The people were victimized on their own right

10. The company and the government are united to cause abject poverty.

11. Women should conduct awareness campaign to other women in their community

about the effect of the gas flaring. They should gather women for the workshop and

inquire about the effect of gas flaring on their bodies, health, children and their

husbands.

12. Youths should be mobilized to protect the rights of women.

13. Women should be empowered economically through job creation and award of

contracts.

14. Regular medical check-ups should be organized for women and other community

members to guard against poor conditions in the community.


How should the issues identified be addressed?

The women made the following suggestions as to how the issues identified in the film should be addressed:

1. Awareness on women and the environment and other issues such as climate

change.

2. Education (women should be properly educated to know their rights)

3. Women them self should be ready to participate in any training organized by

Kebetkache.

4. Women should be well organized and speak with one voice and be ready to work

under a positive leader.

5. Mobilizing women calls for sacrifice, time, energy, finance and willing to work with

others as a team.

6. Women advocate for their voices to be respected by community leaders,

government and companies.

7. Women should be ready to effect the change through advocacy activities.

Group Work:

Participants were divided into 3 sub-groups to undertake the following tasks:

1. Do a social mapping of available natural recourses

2. What are the source of livelihood?

3. Who is destroying the livelihood

Each sub-group represented the following communities:

Mkpanak

Iwuo-achang

Ukpenekang


MKPANAK COMMUNITY

SOCIAL MAPPING OF MKPANAK COMMUNITY

1st BRIDGE

SULPHOR NIG LTD

NEDWORK EXPLORATION NEDWORK STORE

TOPM/ET EXPLORATION

DOCHEN NIG LTD

2nd BRIDGE

CATHOLIC RD

APOSTOLIC RD 1st GATE EXXON MOBIL

MKPANAK POLICE STATION

MAIN GATE EXXON MOBIL

JETTY RD


The group identified sources of livelihood as follows:

11 Fishing

12 Farming

13 Business Contracts/Trading

The destroyers of women’s livelihood are:

Exxon Mobil through gas flaring, erosion and oil spillage.

IWUO-ACHANG COMMUNITY

THE SOURCES OF LIVELIHOOD ARE:

1. TRADING

2. FISHING

3. FARMING

4. BUYING AND SELLING OF GOODS

THE DESTROYERS OF LIVELIHOOD:

1. The major destroyer of the livelihood are oil spillages and gas flare cause by Exxon

Mobil, as well as drilling by Network. These affect our water, land, health and roofs.

2. Sea pirates, because the fisher men and women are attacked by them on the sea.

UPENEKANG COMMUNITY

Figure 1 Caroline Usen presenting social map of Ukpenekang community

THE SOURCES OF LIVELIHOOD ARE:

1. FISHING

2. FARMING

3. PALM OIL PROSSESSING


THE DESTROYERS OF LIVELIHOOD: OIL COMPANIES

(a) EXXON Mobil

(b) Total

(c) Network and others

THE SOURCE OF LIVELIHOOD ARE (IN DETAIL):

1. Cray fish

2. SMOKE FISH

3. FRESH FISH

4. FIRE WOOD

5. MAT

6. AKASI ( FISH RACKET )

THE DESTROYERS OF LIVELIHOOD (IN DETAIL)

1. WATER DISASTER

2. FLOODS

3. GAS FLARING

4. OIL SPILLAGE

5. FIRE DISASTER

6. HUMAN BEINGS

10.4 Building Research Teams Kebetkache Women Development & Resource Centre has constituted three research teams, each of them comprises 8 community women for the PAR activity. The teams have identified target communities to conduct the PAR; they have also identified methodologies that will be used to research into women issues, these include

Public Meetings

Film screening

Transect walk

Story telling

Social mapping

Theatre / role play

Interview

Video/Audio

Consultation with chiefs and youths

Interview

Photography/Videoing

Songs

Oral history


10. 5 Community Mapping

kebetkache women development & … women development & resource centre 1.2 the setting of...

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