RESOURCE CONTROL AGITATIONS AND POLITICAL STABILITY IN NIGERIA FOURTH REPUBLIC

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Resource control agitation in Nigeria's Fourth Republic, particularly in the South-South region, has been a persistent issue, largely tied to the exploration of natural resources, particularly oil, and the unequal distribution of wealth derived from these resources. Nigeria is Africa’s largest oil producer, with the South-South region contributing a substantial share of the country’s oil wealth. However, despite the abundance of resources in the region, the area has long been characterized by underdevelopment, poverty, and environmental degradation. The imbalance between resource generation and local benefits has led to ongoing agitation for resource control and better political representation (Ikelegbe, 2021).

The South-South states, which comprise Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, and Rivers, have been at the forefront of demanding greater control over the oil wealth generated from their lands. Historically, they have argued that the federal government appropriates the majority of the revenue generated from the region, leaving little for the development of the area. The post-colonial structure of Nigeria’s federalism, which centralizes control of resources in the hands of the federal government, is a key factor fueling these agitations (Obi, 2022). The region’s demands for a greater share of oil revenues are framed within the broader context of fiscal federalism and resource nationalism.

Resource control became a key political issue with the transition to democracy in 1999, marking the beginning of Nigeria’s Fourth Republic. Democratic governance opened up space for marginalized groups to express their demands, and resource control agitation in the Niger Delta region intensified during this period. Various groups, including the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) and the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), have carried out protests, vandalism, and armed struggles to pressure the federal government to address their demands. These groups often argue that local communities bear the brunt of environmental damage caused by oil exploration, including oil spills and gas flaring, which have devastated livelihoods, particularly fishing and farming (Omotola & Ojakorotu, 2020).

The Nigerian government's response to these agitations has involved a mixture of military action, dialogue, and amnesty programs. The 2009 Amnesty Program initiated by the federal government under President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua sought to address the grievances of militants by offering them disarmament, rehabilitation, and reintegration into society. While the program brought temporary stability, tensions have remained due to the underlying issues of poverty, environmental degradation, and lack of infrastructural development in the region (Agbu, 2020).

The persistence of resource control agitation has had significant implications for political stability in the Fourth Republic. The unrest in the South-South region has periodically disrupted oil production, impacting Nigeria’s economy, which is heavily reliant on oil revenues. Additionally, the political dynamics of resource control agitation have influenced national politics, shaping debates on constitutional reform and the restructuring of Nigeria’s federal system (Asobie, 2022).

The issue of revenue allocation in Nigeria's political economy is as contentious as other national matters, such as population. The distribution of national revenue among the various components of the federal system is intricately linked to the broader national question. Since 1947, no universally accepted national revenue allocation formula has been established, leading to ongoing controversy, though certain arrangements have been adopted for the sake of "national unity." This contention was evident in the reaction of former Akwa Ibom State Governor, Victor Attah, to the Supreme Court's ruling on the onshore/offshore oil dichotomy. He argued that implementing the court's judgment would leave resource-rich states with little to nothing, while states contributing no natural resources but possessing large populations and land mass—key factors in revenue sharing—would benefit from the resources of others. Attah condemned this situation as not only unjust but also morally wrong, and called on the president to urgently propose a bill to the National Assembly to abolish the onshore/offshore dichotomy in the interest of national unity (Attah, 2002 as cited in Obi, 2022).

But the researcher is poised to make his own contribution to the effort towards bringing stability, peace and development in the Nigerian polity and to achieve national unity. However, As Nigeria continues to grapple with these issues, the need for a more equitable distribution of resources and meaningful development in the Niger Delta remains critical to achieving lasting political stability in the region.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Nigerian federalism, according to Orluwene (2008), has been preoccupied with how to distribute revenue among the various levels of government prior to independence and shortly after independence, and this preoccupation continued after independence. Also stated by him was the fact that political elites from the six geo-political zones were fearful of one another's dominance and, as a result, desired to control the government at the national level from the centre. It is unfortunate that the ethnic minorities are concentrated in oil-producing states, whereas the majority of ethnic minorities are concentrated in non-oil-producing states. In Nigeria, the nature of revenue allocation is determined, in an ironic twist, by the major ethnic groups. This condition has, over the years, tended to act as a cog in the wheel of equitable revenue allocation in Nigeria, with the consequences that have resulted from this condition. Following up on the previous point, Ojo (2016) asserts that in almost all federal systems, there are difficulties in attaining an efficient and acceptable pace of growth, resources, control, and allocation, particularly when there are disparities in economic development and resource endowment among the constituent states, as is the case in Nigeria.

The issue of resource control and political stability in Nigeria, particularly in the South-South region, has remained a critical national dilemma since the discovery of oil. Despite being the main contributor to Nigeria’s economy, the South-South region continues to experience underdevelopment, environmental degradation, and poverty. The federal government’s control over oil resources has created a situation where local communities are deprived of adequate revenue from the natural wealth extracted from their lands, exacerbating grievances and fueling agitations for resource control.

The failure to adopt a fair and equitable revenue-sharing formula has been a central issue. Since the 1947 introduction of revenue allocation formulas, no widely accepted system has emerged, and the ongoing controversies have aggravated national tensions. The onshore/offshore dichotomy, in particular, has further complicated the issue, with the Supreme Court ruling that offshore oil revenue belongs to the federal government, thereby reducing the revenue shares of oil-producing states. This has been met with strong opposition, as expressed by former Governor Victor Attah, who argued that states contributing to the nation’s wealth would receive minimal benefits, while those with larger populations and land mass but no natural resources would disproportionately benefit from federal allocations. Such inequities are seen as unjust, leading to heightened resource control agitations.

The persistent conflict between the federal government and oil-producing states has disrupted political stability in the Fourth Republic, particularly through protests, militancy, and calls for restructuring. The inability of the government to address the underlying issues of resource mismanagement, environmental degradation, and economic marginalization has led to recurring instability. Although temporary measures, such as the Amnesty Program of 2009, have been introduced, they have not resulted in sustainable peace or development in the region.

Thus, the problem this research seeks to address is the complex relationship between resource control agitation and political stability in Nigeria's Fourth Republic, with a focus on the South-South region. The study aims to explore the causes and consequences of resource control agitations and examine the extent to which the federal government’s handling of resource allocation has influenced political stability. Succinctly, it has grown to the extent that it has assumed a thematic issue of national and international status. Hence, the need for this study.

1.3 Research Questions

Why has the agitations for Resource control in the oil producing states of South South Nigeria continued unrelated in the fourth republic?
What are revenue allocation formula of government in the fourth Republic and why are these formula unacceptable to the South South States?
What are the consequences of the resource control agitations for political stability in Nigeria?

1.4 Objectives of the Study

To examine why the agitations for resource control in the oil producing states of South South Nigeria has continued unrelated in fourth republic.
To analyze the role of the federal government’s revenue allocation formula in fueling resource control agitations in the South-South, Nigeria.
To understand the consequences of the resource control agitations for political stability in Nigeria.

1.4 Scope and Limitations of the study

This study focuses on the relationship between resource control agitation and political stability in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic, specifically from 1999 to the present. The geographical focus is the South-South region of Nigeria, which includes states such as Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, and Rivers. These states are central to the study due to their significant contributions to Nigeria’s oil wealth and the ongoing agitation for greater resource control. The study will explore the historical, political, and economic contexts of resource control demands, as well as the federal government’s responses to these demands, including the revenue allocation formulas and policies implemented to address the grievances of oil-producing states. Additionally, it will analyze how these agitations have impacted political stability at both the regional and national levels.

The study is limited by several factors. First, the reliance on secondary data, including government reports, academic publications, and media accounts, may limit the depth of the analysis, as these sources may not fully capture the complexities of the situation on the ground. Second, due to the sensitive nature of the topic, gaining access to key stakeholders, such as government officials, community leaders, and militants, for interviews or direct insights may be challenging, potentially limiting the study’s ability to obtain primary data. Third, the scope of the study is geographically limited to the South-South region, which means the findings may not be fully generalizable to other regions of Nigeria facing different resource-related conflicts. Lastly, the study covers the period of the Fourth Republic, which may exclude relevant historical factors from earlier periods that continue to influence present-day agitations. Despite these limitations, the study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of resource control agitation and its impact on political stability in Nigeria.

1.5 Significance of the study

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