Contending Issues in the Niger Delta Crisis of Nigeria - Journal of ...

Dr. Lere Amusan
her to determine the political and economic calculation of the African
continent until 1973.
Oil embargo imposed on the United States of America (USA) and The
Netherland by the Arab states was a measure against their Zionism
on the Arab-Israeli conflicts, which made the emerging oil producing
states in Africa prominent. As Nigeria became a member of the Non-
Aligned Movement, rhtorically though,the policy of equidistance
between the marximalists' communist and minimalists' capitalist
states started yielding some positive political and economic
developments. The munitions received from the Eastern bloc during
the civil war and the subsequent political understanding between
Nigeria and the communist states did not radically change direction of
trade. This was when the UK remained the only credible trading
partner. The license accorded to SPDC gave the company more
privilege over other oil companies that entered the Nigerian market
after the civil war. Though oil multinational corporations (MNCs) such
as Chevron (Gulf oil), Texaco, Mobil, Agip, British Petroleum (BP) and
later Africa Petroleum entered the market as competitors for the
exploration and production of oil, it is instructive to note that Shell
remains the only credible oil company that determines the economic
development and foreign policy of Nigeria till date.
During the colonial era, British government, through both carrot and
stick diplomacies, dispossessed people of their land. The colonial
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