A Historical Comparison of Food Production in the Pre-Petroleum and Petroleum Eras in Selected Communities of the Niger Delta Region, Nigeria, 1900-2025

The study examines the historical food production systems in selected communities (Oloibiri in Bayelsa state, Gbaramatu in Delta State and Egbema in Rivers State) in the Niger Delta region, Nigeria, from the pre-petroleum years (1900-1955) through a transition to the petroleum production era (1956-2025), a period spanning over ten decades. The aim and objective of the study, is to address the limited scholarly studies in the subject that traverse the two historical eras, by utilizing a multidisciplinary approach that integrates environmental history, agricultural history, political ecology and sustainable development, to examine the trajectory of communities that had robust traditional food production systems, which adequately catered for their livelihoods, to a system that relies mostly on imported processed foods. A qualitative historical research technique was employed to collect primary data collated from field work and responses from in-depth interviews obtained from community elders and leaders, farmers and fishers, government records and extracts of archival materials, which were synthesized with secondary data from academic resources and other relevant materials, to obtain key findings. Findings reveal that food production and supply have declined as a result of transitioning to an economy predominated by petroleum, with the attendant oil spillages, toxic emissions and deforestation, which effects have diminished soil fertility and food productivity; and created occupational aversion to agriculture in the selected communities. The study further discloses that administrative measures designed to address the situation have failed to meet the desired results and concludes that the destruction of farmlands, the lack of effective actionable policies and over reliance on petroleum at the expense of agriculture, have deprived the communities of their livelihoods. The study recommends actionable policies, such as remediations, restoration of the farmlands and incentives that will revive interest in agriculture and address the historical damages and disconnections in the communities.

pre-petroleum, food production, livelihood, food security, Niger Delta region

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