Reflections on Biblical Principles on Environmental Sustainability and the Quest for Attaining the Sdg 15 in the Niger Delta

Reflections on Biblical Principles on Environmental Sustainability and the Quest for Attaining the SDG 15 in the Niger Delta

 Sampson M. Nwaomah, PhD

Theological Seminary, Adventist University of Africa, Kenya

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2025.917PSY0007

Received: 03 February 2025; Accepted: 07 February 2025; Published: 10 March 2025

ABSTRACT

The United Nations adopted Seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015 with a target date of achieving them by 2030. SDG number 15 focuses on environmental sustainability and seems to reflect biblical principles on environmental sustainability. However, in Nigeria, certain factors such as some policies that govern   exploration and exploitation in the oil and gas industry and some of the activities of local population where oil is found in the Niger Delta Region, challenge the realisation of this SDG. Therefore, this paper examines SDG15 in the context of some biblical principles on environmental sustainability, specific policies and activities causing the environmental challenges in the Niger Delta. The study adopted descriptive method. It analysed secondary data to obtain logical deductions, and a presentation of facts to draw a clear picture of the problem. It concluded that based on some governmental policies and local population choices the realisation of the SDG15 may be a utopia in the Niger Delta.  Nonetheless, the revision of some adverse current policies, purposeful diversification of national economic opportunities, economic empowerment and public education of the people of the Niger Delta could assist in the realisation of the SDG15 targets in the Niger Delta.

Keywords: Biblical; Environmental; Niger Delta; SDG15; Sustainability.

INTRODUCTION

The United Nations member states proposed and adopted a set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in September 2015. The SGDs were the successors of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and serve as reference development goals for the international community for 2015-2030. The SDGs grouped under 17 goals were designed to address the global challenges that affect issues like poverty, inequality, climate, environmental degradation, prosperity, peace and justice. The SDGs were blueprint towards an improved and more sustainable future. According to the United Nations, as reported in its document Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (United Nations, 2020, p.29), SDG15  focusing on environmental sustainability has nine targets and some of which are:

1. 15.1 By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements
2. 15.2 By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally
3. 15.3 By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world
4. 15.5 Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species
5. 15.6 Promote fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilisation of genetic resources and promote appropriate access to such resources, as internationally agreed
6. 15.9 By 2020, integrate ecosystem and biodiversity values into national and local planning, development processes, poverty reduction

Targets numbers 1-3, 5-6 and 9 of SDG 15 as provided above are apply to the Niger Delta, a region in Nigeria that has witnessed monumental environment degradation for over six decades occasioned by the exploration/prospecting and exploitation/mining activities of the oil firms and some local population. Thus, SDG15 could provide some platform for ameliorating the burdens arising from these activities.

However, despite what seems the lofty targets of the Sustainable Development Goals, the SDGs were widely seen as ambitious. Hence, the motive of the SDGs committee, and even the utopia nature of the goals and targets were criticized even before and as soon as they were launched.  For instance, it was argued: “The efforts of the SDG drafting committees are so sprawling and misconceived that the entire enterprise is being set up to fail. That would be not just a wasted opportunity, but also a betrayal of the world’s poorest people” (The Economist, 2015, para. 1). Further, the UN’s new Sustainable Development Goals were assessed as ignoring the increasing level of poverty resulting from the unabating quest for industrial growth on our planet. Specifically, Hickel states the SDGs are aiming “to save the world without transforming it … depending on the old model of industrial growth—ever-increasing levels of extraction, production, and consumption” (2015, paras. 1, 9). These factors are primarily responsible for capitalism (Hickel, 2015). Similarly, Easterly argued that the un-seriousness of the SDGs utopian promises is “that they keep repeating them over and over again for different sub-groups” (2015, para. 7). Likewise, it is queried “in an international system where states jealously guard their sovereignty and policy autonomy, is it possible for world leaders to agree upon common objectives and plans for action, especially when it comes to contested issues such as that of global development?” (Sengupta, 2016, para. 1). Even the period (2015-2030) that has been set side to achieve this SDGs have been considered as unrealistic (Kenny, 2017).Therefore, from the inception, not only was the feasibility of the SDGs, distrusted, but the sincerity of the UN in proposing and launching these goals was also doubted.

Nonetheless, notwithstanding the distrust of the SDG 15 and the environmental challenges in the Niger Delta, the laudable environmental sustainability ideals of SDG15, align with the lofty ideals some biblical principles of environmental sustainability as indicated in Genesis 2:28-29 and some other bible texts

Therefore, the objectives of this paper are to:

1. Examine some biblical principles of environmental sustainability
2. Examine some of the prevailing policies and activities that influence the environmental issues that may hinder achieving SDG15 in the Niger Delta.
3. Survey the ecological predicaments in the Niger Delta in the context of the SDG 15.
4. Make relevant recommendations that could enhance the realization of the SDG15 in the Niger Delta

METHODOLOGY

This research is secondary or desk research relying of existing data. It will principally analyse biblical data and secondary data on the environmental challenges in the Niger Delta. The secondary sources on the Niger Delta are reports of field works in the Region.  These sources were accessed from the internet and University Library on the subject of the research. This method is adopted because it facilitate a broader understanding of the subject of this research.  The researcher identified the topic of this research, identified the sources, collected existing data, and analysed them objectively to draw conclusions for this research.

Survey Of Biblical Principles Of Environmental Sustainability

A fundamental biblical principle of responsible human stewardship in relation to non-human creation in Genesis 2:28-29 supports environmental sustainability as desired in SDG 15. In the biblical text, humanity, who were created in the image of God (Gen 1:27), were commanded to: (a) be fruitful and multiply (b) fill the earth, (c) subdue it, (d) have dominion over every living thing that moves upon the earth, (e) and to eat from every seed-bearing plant and tree, may imply a language of exploitation and repression on non-human creation.

Perhaps, informed by a utilitarian view of non-human creation, Thomas Aquinas as cited by Tubbs (1994, p. 545) opined that the non-human creation has “the formal character of an instrument …useful to a principal agent.” By the principal agent he refers to humans. Origen also argued similarly, that God “has made everything to serve the rational being and his natural intelligence” (Tubbs, 1994, p. 545). Possibly, it is from this utilitarian view of the environment that, the historian Lynn White blamed the Biblical mandate in Genesis 1:26–28 for humans to “rule and subdue the earth,” (White, 1967, p.1203-7) for the repressive activities and deleterious ecological practices of technology. White argued that God’s design for humanity was to exploit nature without regard to the feelings of natural objects and maximise its utility. Consequently, according to him, the arrogance of orthodox Christianity, in the quest to actualizing the mandate to subdue and rule the earth, is to be blamed for the harmful effects of contemporary science and technology on Nature (White, 1967, p.1205).

However, contrary to this position, Hamilton (1982, p. 27) argues that “dominion” is a fraternal term in the Old Testament. Of its about twenty-four usages in the Old Testament, the Hebrew word radah translated as “dominion,” in some English versions of the Bible implies that this dominion is “to be exercised with care and responsibility. Nothing destructive or exploitative is permissible.” Similarly, Wenham opines that that the creation of humanity in God’s image, and thus as his representative on earth, requires humanity “to act in a godlike way in caring for the earth and other creatures in it” (Wenham, 2003, p.20).

Further, God in Genesis 1:31 ascribes “goodness” to all non-human creation. This goodness extends to environment. God cares for all creation—human and nonhuman. In other OT passages, God’s environmental care is evident. For instance, He gives environmental sustainability principles (i) affecting the harvesting and eating of fruits” (Lev. 19:23–25); (ii) protection of fruit trees even during wars even when wood could be needed for the erection of siege (Deut. 20:19–20); and (iii) institution of the sabbatical and jubilee years to leave fields and vineyards fallow (Lev. 25:1–12). Further, God nourishes by rain uninhabited places, deserts and desolate wastelands (Job 38:26–27), and provides enabling environment for wild animals (Job 39:5–6; Ps 104:10–27). In summary, the restrictions placed human beings on the uses of natural resources in the Old Testament and God’s care for non-human creation does not seem to align with any distorted conception of the biblical mandate of dominion as a warrant to exploit and destroy non-human creation.

Dominion without any form of care or concern for the posterity of communities and people hardly represents the biblical mandate in Genesis 1:27-28.Therefore, God requires responsible stewardship from humans and to reflect the same in dealing with the environment and persons even when exploiting and exploring it for sustenance. Only in doing so are humans really His image in the usage and preservation in the enforcing the mandate of dominion over the earth (von Rad, 1972, p.60). Consequently, it is proper to regard the environment is a gift given to humans for sustenance, and the key elements in this human/nonhuman relationship are stewardship, responsibility, and sustainability of the environment entrusted to humanity. Destructive, manipulative, indiscriminate, and exploitative activities and policies damaging to host communities (all of which are seen in the case of the Niger Delta) are diametrically opposed to the stewardship and dominion concept of the biblical ecology.

Oil Policies And Environmental Issues In The Niger Delta

The Niger Delta is situated in the coastland of southern Nigeria along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean. It extends over about 70,000 km² (27,000 sq. mi).  However, politically, this region consists of the nine southern Nigerian states from the South-East, South-South, and South-West geopolitical zones   as shown in Figures 1 and 2 below. However, Cross River is presently not an oil-producing state.

Figure 1: Map of Nigeria.

This map identifies states typically considered part of the Niger Delta region:  1. Abia; 2. Akwa Ibom; 3. Bayelsa; 4. Cross River; 5. Delta; 6. Edo; 7. Imo; 8. Ondo; 9. Rivers.

Source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niger_Delta

Figure 2: Political map of Nigeria showing the 36 states, and regions

Source https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260023562_Possible_determinants_and_spatial_patterns_of_anaemia_among_young_children_in_Nigeria_a_Bayesian_semi-parametric_modelling/figures?lo=1

The history of the petroleum industry in the Niger Delta began in 1909. As a result of the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern parts of the country and the birth of the Nigeria in 1914, the national government asserted claim on oil and gas resources in the country. It subsequently, granted permission and leases to British firms and other individuals to prospect for oil. In 1937 Shell was authorized to prospect for oil. In 1956 initial oil deposits in profitable measure were found in Oloibiri, a town now located in Bayelsa State. Further to this, oil deposits were also found in Afam, Bomu and Ebubu, communities   in the present Rivers State. Two years before the country’s independence in 1958, oil was exported from Nigeria. There are over 40 oil and gas prospecting and exploitation companies, 159 oil fields and 1481 producing wells in Nigeria (Okaba, 2005, pp.10-11).

 The oil and gas industry have for long provided the larger proportion of the national and sub-national revenue of Nigeria. Therefore, income from crude oil sale significantly contribute to the economic sustenance of the state. This fact is illustrated by the annual use of the United States dollar price of a barrel of crude Nigeria sells when considering the Nigeria’s national budget of Nigeria. This situation was further recently demonstrated by the effect of the slump in the international oil price because of the COVID-19 pandemic on the country’s economy.

However, the environmental crisis in the Niger Delta induced by the oil and gas industry, perhaps remains one of the most engaging issues in the political and economic discourses in Nigeria. Accordingly, the Niger Delta is described as “a region suffering from administrative neglect, crumbling social infrastructure and services, high unemployment, social deprivation, abject poverty, filth and squalor and economic conflict” (Onuorah, 2006, pp.1-2). It was thus recommended that “addressing the Niger Delta’s many developmental challenges begins with using its vast oil wealth to create an environment in which people can flourish. People should be able to live valued and dignified lives, overcome poverty, enjoy a peaceful atmosphere and expect sustainable development” (Onuorah, 2006, pp.1-2).

Despite the monumental environmental predicament of in this region it has continued to be neglected over the years notwithstanding some policies governing the oil and gas industry that could have ameliorated this challenge.

Policies and Activities on Oil Exploration and Exploitation

The oil industry in the Niger Delta was until recently essentially guided by the 1969 Petroleum Act (Nigerian Petroleum Act Chapter P10, 1969). This Act provided policies and guidelines on how the oil and gas firms could exploit and explore of these resources in Nigeria and its regional waters. This Act vested the ownership of all oil and gas revenues in the National Government. This was reinforced by the Land Use Act of 1978. The latter stripped rural oil host communities of customary land titles empowering the central government to acquire land anywhere and for any purposes. It could do this with or without compensation (Otubu, 2008, pp. 80-108). However, section 17 of the Petroleum Act of 1969 provided some environmental guidelines to this petroleum industry.

Policy on Area Prohibition

The Nigerian Petroleum Act of 1969 prohibited oil-based activities in certain areas. These are stipulated in section 17. These provisions are retained in section 101 of the 2021 Petroleum Industry Act. Thus, according to the 2021 Act the areas of prohibition include:

• any area held to be sacred;
• any part set apart for or used or appropriated or dedicated to public purpose;
• any part occupied for any purpose by the government at the federal or state levels;
• any part situated within a township, town, village, market, burial ground or cemetery;
• any part which is the site of within fifty yards of any building, institution, reservoir, dam, public road or train way or which is appropriated for or situated within fifty yards of any rail;
• any part consisting of private land;
• any part under cultivation (Petroleum Industry Act, 2021, Para. 101; Akinjide-Balogun, 2001).

Although this seems to be an environmentally-friendly policy, it is pronounced from the activities of the oil industry that this policy is not respected as illustrated in Figure 3 below:

Figure 3: Oil pipeline in a community in Ogoni land, Rivers State

Source UNEP Report on Background to Environmental

Policy of Safety

The provisions of the Oil Act are intended to regulate safety standard in oil industry. For instance, it required the licensees to limit damage to vegetation, structures and other property. The provision is seldom obeyed by the oil firms operating in the Niger Delta. Oil exploitation and exploration are common in inhabited areas and farmlands. Oil pipelines run through farm lands and residential areas, public building, farm lands, markets, as illustrated in Figure 3 above with consequences as illustrated in Figure 4 below:

Figure 4: Figure oil spills in Okirika LGA of Rivers State

Source Amnesty International

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2011/aug/03/shell-oil-spills-niger-delta-in-pictures

Thus, it could be incontrovertible that the petroleum industry in the Niger Delta hardly protect the interest, health and welfare of the public. Instead the revenue to be gained by the government and the oil and gas industries besides the health and well-being of the people of the region seems paramount. Even where penalties are prescribed, they are hardly implemented.

Local Population Activities and Environmental Issues

Apart from the governmental policies and activities of the oil firms, the activities of some people and some local populations, have also contributed to the environmental challenges in the Niger Delta. Those who engage in these activities have also attributed their actions to desperation and poverty due to neglect by the government and the oil and gas firms. For instance, oil spills have been “caused by deliberate interference with wells, pipelines and other infrastructure by armed militant groups, criminal gangs and others” (Amnesty International, 2018, p.12). This is either for economic purposes such as compensations or contracts from the oil and gas firms. It is also possible that local political differences sometimes cause these disruptions.  However, this has been denied by the affected communities.

A recent trend, perhaps arising from protests against environmental marginalisation, is installing and operating of illegal refineries (see Figure 5 below). This activity accounts for about 25% of the “estimated 150, 000 barrels of oil that are stolen daily in Nigeria” (SDN, 2015, p. 4).

Figure 5: Photo of illegal oil refining in the Niger Delta

Source SDN https://www.stakeholderdemocracy.org/sdn-report-communities-not-criminals-illegal-oil-refining-in-the-niger-delta/

Niger Delta Environmental Challenges In The   Context Of The Sdg 15

Governmental policies and local population activities have negatively impacted the environment, economic and health status of the people as documented by several studies.  These adverse effects include deprivation of land, alteration of quality of soil, devastation of marine ecosystem and health issues (Onwuka, 2006, p.62).

Land deprivation is mainly caused by acquisition without regard to the policy on area prohibition. This is also facilitated by the Nigerian land ownership which invest this in the government (Otobu, pp.80-108). Further, land deprivation is facilitated by the poverty level of local populations which makes them quickly accede to giving up land for seismic drilling, construction of oil flow trunk lines networks, stations, excavating of sites for oil waste and barrow pits for other activities in the process of exploitation and/or exploration.

The Niger Delta suffer soil quality alteration occasioned by oil spillage sometimes due to failure of equipment, error of personnel on site and pipe corrosion, sometimes which may be caused by the age of the pipes and/or sabotage. The effect of cuttings and mud and waste from refineries alter the soil quality. These also pollute nearby streams and rivers which in most communities’ portable water sources. It is calculated that as of 2014 about 12,000 incidences of oil spillages, amounting to about 40 million barrels of crude oil have happened in the Niger Delta since the inception of the oil industry (Chinedu and Chukwuemeka, 2028, pp.1-8). This estimation seems to be confirmed by the Amnesty International reports as shown in Tables 1 and 2 below:

Table 1: Number of spills along Shell’s Imo River-Ogale Pipelines

Source: Amnesty International 2018 [20], p 18

Table 2: Cause of Reported cases of oil spillage

Source: (Amnesty International 2018, p. 16).

The Amnesty International Report published in 2018 also estimated that since 2011 Shell had reported 1, 010 spills 110, 535 barrels or 17.5 million litres. Eni since 2014 had also reported 820 oil spills, which might have led to the loss of about 26, 286 barrels of oil or 4.1 million litres of oil in their pipelines’ networks and wells (Amnesty International, 2018, p. 15) as could be seen from tables 3 and 4 below.

Table 3: Oil Spills per company per year

Source: (Amnesty International 2018, p 15). 1,830 oil spills.

Table 4: Litres of oil spilled

Source: (Amnesty International 2018, p 16). 21.7 million litres of oil spilled.

Another environmental impact resulting from the oil industry is the damage caused to the aquatic ecosystem in are the sources of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. During oil exploration and production materials such as drill cuttings, drill mud and other fluids that are used to stimulate production are discharged into the environment and most end up in the streams and rivers and destroy the sea life as shown by several studies (Ekpo et all, 2018; Osuagwu et all, 2018).

These chemicals are not easily degradable. Also, the cleaning of oil from the surface of water bodies like rivers, seas and streams scarcely resolves the problem of pollution and destruction of sea life and water sources because most of the chemical and oil sink to the depth of the water bodies. The momentous consequences are “surface and ground water quality deterioration in terms of portability, aesthetic and recreation, destruction and reduction of fish life and fisheries production of the waters, destruction by acute and sublehal toxicity of aquatic flora and fauna of spills on water and benthic macro” (Nwaomah, 2008, pp.187-204).

Lastly, there is the hazard of air pollution caused by gas flares (as in Figure 6 below) from oil production in numerous flow stations in the Niger Delta. This pollute the air and injures to human health by causing skin and internal diseases. The pollution also affects the adjacent farmlands, causing acidic rain, and rapid deterioration of roofing sheets in the Niger Delta area.

Figure 6: Gas Flaring in the Niger Delta

Source: https://www.dw.com/en/gas-flaring-in-the-niger-delta-ruins-lives-business/a-41221653

 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The ideals of SDG15, which for Christians could be supported by the biblical principles stewardship, responsibility and sustainability, do hold some respite for the environmental challenges in the Niger Delta. However, it is apparent from this study that there are fundamental challenges such the non-implementation of some environmental-friendly policies, oil industry  and local population activities that clearly make the targets of SDG 15 unattainable  by 2030 in this region. unattainable. However, some steps could still be taken towards Niger Delta’s environmental sustainability in the context of SDG15. Hence the following policy recommendations are provided for the government of Nigeria and the Oil and gas industries to ameliorate the environmental challenges in the Niger Delta.

Formulation and Implementation of Environmental-Friendly Policies on Oil Exploration and Exploitation

A bill that empowers the local community to have co-ownership and purposeful management of wealth derived from the land’s oil and gas resources must be passed. It is needful for all-stakeholders to be involved significantly in determining the economic and social affairs as it affects the environment of the Niger Delta. While the Nigerian Petroleum Industry Act of 2021 could be expected to fulfil this, implementing and enforcing of the environmental-friendly provisions is very needful. Such could enhance the health, economic well-being and the posterity of the Niger Delta.

Diversification of Economic Opportunities

There is much wisdom in occasionally relieving the land of continuous economic activity that may have adversely affect on it and thus minimise its benefit for humans. The diversification of economic opportunities will curtail the sustained seismic activities in search of oil and gas deposits in the Niger Delta and secure the interests of the posterity of the region and its people. Nigeria has more natural resources than oil and gas. It is needful to pursue the exploitation of these and reduce dependence on the oil and gas revenue puts gives undue pressure on the environment of the Niger Delta.

Sustainable Economic Empowerment of the People of the Niger Delta

The people of the Niger Delta need to be economically empowered to ameliorate the effects of environmental degradation. Undoubtedly, some of the oil and gas companies and the government sometimes engage in economic empowerment programmes in skills acquisitions. It is however, unquestionable that some of the trained people cannot find jobs. Further, even the complex economic and political climate hinders meaningful utilisation of these skills. Therefore, since the Niger Delta oil host communities “bear a disproportionate share of the negative environmental consequences resulting from industrial, municipal, and commercial operations or the execution of federal, state, local, and tribal programs and policies” (Nwaomah, 2013, p. 292). Sustainable economic employment can discourage the illegal activities of local communities that negatively impact on the environment. Thus, the demand by the people for an increase in the percentage of allocation to host communities from proceeds of the oil and gas industry in the Nigerian Petroleum Industry Act of 2021 needs to be considered by the federal government of Nigeria.

Education on the health hazards of oil spillage

A sustained education of the local population on the environmental and health hazards of spillages and the activities of illegal oil refining may also contribute towards environmental sustainability in the Niger Delta. This could be enhanced through local advocacy groups and even inclusion in the educational curriculum on civic education especially at the primary and secondary levels. In this regard, religious leaders could also be engaged in environmental advocacy by the government and the local communities.  However, such advocacy must be accompanied by evident and sincere efforts by the government to address the environmental and economic challenges faced by the people of the Niger Delta. This could provide an opportunity for dialogue and promotion of biblical principles on the environment that could be relevant to the realisation of the SDG 15 in the Niger Delta.

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