Our resources

Between 2016 – 2017 SDN engaged with locals to design and implement long-lasting solutions to the artisanal oil industry. Alternative livelihoods were the number one priority – so SDN worked with former artisanal oil industry workers to identify and trial appropriate options between 2017 - 2020. Fishing is the dominant ...
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A comparative assessment of the environmental performance of 43 oil companies operating in Nigeria in 2018. In 2018 alone, more than 25,000 barrels—4 million litres—of oil were spilled in the Niger Delta, and nearly half a billion cubic feet of gas was flared. But how do the oil companies involved ...
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Summary This report provides a comparative assessment of the environmental performance of 43 oil companies operating in Nigeria in 2018. This is the first environmental performance index (the Index) by SDN. It is based on the amount of oil spilled and gas flared (burnt off) by each company in the ...
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Summary This report provides a comparative assessment of the environmental performance of 43 oil companies operating in Nigeria in 2018. This is the first environmental performance index (the Index) by SDN. It is based on the amount of oil spilled and gas flared (burnt off) by each company in the ...
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Summary The history of oil pollution in Nigeria is long and traumatic. The Nigerian oil industry, which has produced and exported high quality crude for over 50 years, drives the Nigerian economy. The inhabitants of the Niger Delta, the country’s principal oil-producing region, have suffered the impact of oil spills ...
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Summary This report outlines key actions that would contribute to making the oil spill compensation system in Nigeria fairer and more transparent for all. It is based on analysis of the challenges with the compensation system identified in the SDN research report The Nigerian oil spill compensation system: obstacles and ...
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Strengthening monitoring of oil-related imports and exports in Nigeria Summary This brief summarises research on the potential of commercial and independent data to strengthen monitoring of maritime oil-related imports and exports in Nigeria. It also provides an overview of how approaches, such as remote sensing, could be employed to track ...
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Since 2018, the Innovation Hub has delivered workshops to over 3,000 participants, become one of just seven digital innovation hubs to partner with Facebook for their Nigeria programmes, and developed four start-up businesses, which now employ 22 people, with a further four graduating at the end of March 2020. Previous ...
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An analysis of official and unofficial petroleum products in the Niger Delta This webinar provides an overview of recent research by SDN which indicates low quality, highly toxic fuels are being imported and widely used across the Niger Delta, if not the whole of Nigeria. This is likely to significantly ...
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English: We realise most messages about Coronavirus are in English, and many centre around Western culture and appearance--so we're reaching out to our Pidgin-speaking Nigerians to bust some of the most common fake news. Fake news and myths around COVID-19 can cost lives. To counter fake news and myths, SDN ...
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An analysis of official and unofficial petroleum products in the Niger Delta Summary This report compares differences in the standards of, and emissions from, official fuels in licensed filling stations, and unofficial fuels produced by artisanal oil refineries across Bayelsa and Rivers states.
The analysis aims to improve upon ...
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An analysis of official and unofficial petroleum products in the Niger Delta Summary Official fuel quality regulation must be enforced to stem widespread toxic air quality in Nigeria.

Research in the Niger Delta suggests that low quality, highly toxic fuels are imported into the country by international commodity traders, who ...
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Summary A combination of intimidation, inducement, and violence spanning the electoral period damaged the freedom, fairness, and credibility of the 2019 Governorship election in Bayelsa State. However, most voters, INEC officials, security services, and civil society organisations are to be commended for their efforts to maintain a peaceful election. Prior ...
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For over 15 years, SDN has worked with communities and stakeholders in the Niger Delta, tackling issues related to the impact of the oil and gas sector on the region. During this time, we have investigated security issues in the region relating to political unrest—in particular, around elections, militancy (including ...
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October 2018-March 2019 Summary This report presents the findings of the latest public perceptions survey (PPS), carried out by SDN in three Niger Delta states—Bayelsa, Delta, and Rivers. The purpose of the PPS is to understand local-level concerns about security in the region, and priorities for addressing security-related issues. The ...
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Report summary This report assesses the status and trend of women’s participation in politics as citizens and as holders of political positions in the Niger Delta. It is based on research undertaken in three states—Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa and Rivers—as part of the More Women in Governance project, led by Stakeholder ...
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Our focus Protecting the environment We aim to reduce the negative environmental impact of the oil and gas sector, and demonstrate clean energy alternatives. Our work includes documenting, and making public, the extent of pollution, working with the Nigerian environmental regulators to strengthen their work, and supporting the National Assembly ...
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What is accreditation, and why do I need to be accredited on election day to vote? This is to ensure that only people who are registered to vote can do so, and that only one vote is cast per person. To do this, present your PVC to the INEC Polling ...
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Summary Across Nigeria, women are severely underrepresented at all levels of governance and face substantial social and economic barriers that hinder their active participation in politics. The situation in the Niger Delta is particularly difficult, due to highly competitive and violent aspects of politics and poor resource management by ...
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A civil society report on the conduct of the Nigerian elections In early 2019, Nigeria held its sixth cycle of elections since its restoration of democracy in 1999. This included two main sets of elections: Presidential and National Assembly polls, in February (after a week-long postponement, announced during the ...
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This is a practical guide, aimed at existing and new aquaculture farmers, to scale up available opportunities in the fish farming market by providing step by step instructions from how to set up a commercial fish farm through to sale at local markets, including: capturing, culturing, processing, and aggregators. This ...
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Although male-dominated, women tend to be heavily involved in the marketing and sale of artisanally refined products. This project selected participants from surrounding communities, focusing on women at risk of participating in the artisanal oil industry, who had some experience in aquaculture. 40 participants in total, of which 24 were ...
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March 2018 - September 2018 Summary This report presents the results of a public perceptions survey, carried out by Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN) in Bayelsa, Delta, and Rivers states. It focuses on citizens’ perceptions of the current security situation in the Niger Delta, and views on the actors and interventions ...
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Real stories from ex-participants in the informal oil industry permeating the Creeks in the Niger Delta. See our graphic guide to understanding the industry, or read our in-depth More Money, More Problems report on the growth of the industry between 2012-2017 ...
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Pipeline surveillance contracts are awarded to private firms by government agencies and oil companies. Surveillance contractors are ostensibly tasked with monitoring sections of oil pipeline, identifying any breaks and protecting them from vandalism. However, the concept of pipeline surveillance contracts in the Niger Delta is a misnomer. They rarely ...
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This graphic guide illustrates the stages of the value chain in the artisanal oil industry. The value chain Crude oil pipeline tapping – vulnerable infrastructure is easily accessed to fix a tap to a pipeline or well head to siphon crude oil to export or supply refining camps. Locations ...
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When crude oil is extracted from onshore and offshore oil wells it brings with it raw natural gas to the surface. In Nigeria a vast amount of this is burned directly into the atmosphere. The hazardous air pollutants emitted from gas flaring have been shown to severely impact human health ...
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The Nigerian Oil Spill Monitor gives public access to current official data on oil spills collected by the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), the Nigerian environmental regulator, and displays this in an online map. By making the oil spill data more visible the system aims to show ...
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In November and December 2018, we trained nearly 100 citizen Election Observers, Social Media Analysts, and Data Analysts as project team members to take part in Niger Delta Watch 2019. They were based across the Niger Delta, and submitted incident reports and other analysis on events which related to a ...
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October 2017 - March 2018 Summary This report presents the results of a public perceptions survey, carried out by SDN in Bayelsa, Delta, and Rivers states. It focuses on citizens’ perceptions of the current security situation in the Niger Delta, and views on the actors and interventions aiming to address ...
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In 2018, SDN visited Biseni, a community in Bayelsa State, to learn more about the local impact of the oil industry. We spoke to community members about the challenges they face. Oil pollution is a major issue in the Niger Delta, with millions of people depending on land and water ...
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Reducing 2019 election risks The 2019 Nigerian elections are now less than three months away. Given the relative success of the 2015 elections – which, although flawed, saw an incumbent president relinquish power for the first time since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999 – they have the potential ...
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SDN has published three case studies looking at how communities can work together to support social change. The case studies highlight how advocacy groups in Kpite, Nonwa, and Ogu have lobbied their local authorities to implement key infrastructure projects in their area. The case studies highlight that while social ...
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Today SDN publishes two policy briefs looking at key pieces of Nigerian oil sector legislation. They examine the environmental aspects of the legislation, should it be passed – and what this will mean for the people of the Niger Delta. The policy briefs highlight that while there may be ...
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The migration of ex-militants into Niger Delta politics Since the 2009 start of the Niger Delta amnesty programme, dozens of self-described former ‘agitators’ (ex-militants) have migrated out of the creeks and into politics. Initially, many acted as political thugs, or ‘godfathers’, to help mainstream politicians win elections, in exchange ...
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This report calls for an alternative approach to tackle artisanal oil refining in the Niger Delta, based on an analysis of how the improvised artisanal oil refining value chain has adapted and changed in Bayelsa and Rivers states over the past five years. This quantitative and qualitative research is based ...
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This Guide explains how the government budget process works in Nigeria, and how communities in the Niger Delta can try and influence this process to support their needs. The aim of the guide is to encourage Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and communities to monitor government financial planning and expenditure, ...
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This voter toolkit has been produced to empower individuals and communities with critical information about the 2019 elections in accessible formats and regularly promoted over social media, with physical copies presented to communities in key areas. How to Protect Your Vote How To Cast Your Vote on Election ...
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Nigeria’s power sector is failing. After $2 billion was spent on the nationalised National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) in the 1980s and 1990s, the Authority had an all-time low 1,700 MW of power capacity. This was hopelessly inadequate to meet the growing needs of the country. It was also clear ...
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This agricultural pilot was carried out as part of a programme to test and promote viable, sustainable, and decent livelihood alternatives to the burgeoning artisanal oil industry. Find out more about the project. Read our press release to learn more about the aims of this pilot. Published: 11.12.2019 ...
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Summary This report presents the results of a public perceptions survey, carried out by SDN in Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers states. It focuses on citizens’ perceptions of the current security situation in the Niger Delta, and views on the actors and interventions aiming to address the problem of instability and ...
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BEDC Electricity Corruption Perception Index 2017 4 This Corruption Perception Index (CPI) forms part of SDN’s ‘‘Promoting Accountability in the Electricity Sector’’ project. Funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the project is designed to help reduce corruption in the electricity sector, in particular at the distribution ...
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Research from a survey conducted for customers in selected Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) business districts has found widespread inadequacy in the reliability of the electricity supply to households and businesses in the area. Insufficient electricity supply stunts the growth of micro, small and medium enterprises, limiting the creation of ...
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Between the years 2000 – 2005, Nigeria lost around 55% of its’ primary forests, causing the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to record it as having the highest rate of deforestation in the world. Nigeria has been facing mass deforestation ever since due to both legal and illegal timber trade ...
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The mounting consequences of climate change are taking their toll on Nigeria, from different angles: desertification in the north, deforestation in the south east, oil pollution and flooding in the south-south and erosion in the middle belt. Without effective policies in place to mitigate the impacts, the poor and vulnerable ...
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The Niger Delta region fuels Nigeria’s economy, accounting for 95 per cent of Nigeria’s export earnings and over 80 per cent of the federal government’s revenue. Yet it remains one of the poorest parts of the country. Its considerable potential for socio-economic development has been hampered by a lack of access ...
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Decommissioning is the process whereby abandoned oil and gas fields are made safe and the land or sea is restored as far as possible to their original state. This practice is of utmost importance, as failure to mitigate the risk of negative environmental, social and economic impacts following the closures ...
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Comparative analysis of the forms, data and related processes of the Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) and suggestions on how these could be improved. A Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) is a visit to oil spill sites usually carried out within two weeks of an onshore oil spill in Nigeria. It is ...
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Reports from a team of election observers across Delta, Bayelsa, and Rivers States helped to substantiate crowd-sourced text-reports, and, together, informed a series of 11 election eNewsletters to brief key stakeholders on emerging issues to focus on before they escalate, and summary reports on Delta, Bayelsa, and Rivers State. These ...
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A reality TV series, Dawn in the Creeks, commissioned by SDN, documented the transformation of 21 young people living in the Niger Delta who had been involved in violence in the past. The young participants creatively tell their personal stories of adversity and of turning away from violence towards peaceful ...
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Nigeria is experiencing a national environmental emergency. Desertification in the North and rising sea levels in the South have led to higher than usual rates of migration, pressure on a weak supply chain for resources, and an additional strain on service provision in Nigeria’s major cities. The Intergovernmental Panel on ...
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Pipeline vandalism cost the Nigerian Government, oil-companies and communities an estimated $14bn dollars in 2014. The failure of the Nigerian state to provide basic public services and security in the Niger Delta has resulted in a significant breakdown of the social contract. In the void that remains, international and national oil companies ...
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