An assessment of effects of crude oil exploitation on agricultural activities in Eleme area of Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study assesses the effects of crude oil exploitation on agricultural activities in Eleme LGA of River State, Nigeria. To achieve the study objectives, 150 farmers were randomly selected from three oil producing communities of Eleme LGA where incidence of oil exploitation and pollution are mostly prominent. The data collected were analyzed using frequencies, percentages and chi – squared.The study revealed that 72% of the farmers in the study area were females within the age range of 30 – 40 years. Also, 78.71% of the respondents had acquired one form of education or the other ranging from primary education to tertiary education. Oil exploitation had negative effects on production of crops, domestic animals, wild-life and forest environment. In other words, while human beings are on the increase; crops, domestic animals, trees/shrubs and wild-lives were on the decrease. There is need to strengthen awareness campaigns and re-direction of policies that will bring an increase in agricultural production and check the effects of oil exploitation, reduce environmental degradation and destruction of forest resources. Key words: Crude oil exploitation, agriculture, environment and degradation