European Journal of Scientific Research - EuroJournals

441 Ewhrudjakpor, Christian
produce. Therefore nutritional produce are very poor, hence poor diet and of course resulting to various
forms of illnesses from kwashiorkor, (severe malnutrition in infants and children) to stomach ulcer, due
to severe hunger.
Studies (Ogege, 2002; Benike, 2002, Jike, 2004), have shown that there have been over 4000
oil spills and over 100 gas flaring sites in Niger Delta region since 1960. Gas flaring from oil
extraction has resulted in serious air pollution problems, and have affected the farmlands, vegetation
and human beings around 1000 metres of its location. These has veritably created serious health
problems in this region among its inhabitants (Afolabi, 2005).
This study is aimed at assessing the health neglect by multinational oil firms in host
communities in the Niger-Delta of Nigeria. Consequently, ways of redressing these social
irresponsibility of these multinational oil firms shall be proffered.
Need for the Study
This study will be of immense help to both the federal government and multinational oil firms in
strategizing for improving the frayed relationship between the multinational firms and their host
communities in Nigeria, that has deteriorated to hostage taking and acts of terrorisms (Agbo, 2006) in
the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria. It will also serve as knowledge base to these multinationals, federal
government and policy makers in respect of the needed health issues to address, towards ensuring
improved mortality, fertility and morbidity rates in the impoverished Niger-Delta region.
Methods
Population/Sample
Nigeria’s population is put at about 120,000,000 million people. Nigeria is the most populous nation in
Africa. It has 36 states. Most states in the south of Nigeria have oil resources. These states are in the
Niger-Delta region of the south of Nigeria. They are: Delta, Edo, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Ondo,
Abia and Cross Rivers States.
500 male and female indigenes (literate and non-literate) from five communities in five states
selected from oil rich states for this research.
Sampling Technique
The accidental technique was used to select the 435 respondents and 65 interviewees. That is the
researcher administered questionnaires or interview schedules to those he met at the time of visit to the
various communities in the study.
Instruments: Two instruments were used: the structured questionnaire and the interview schedule.
The structured questionnaire had 2 sections: section ‘A’ contained demographic information while
section ‘B’ contained 20 items pertaining to sanitary and health items.
The interview schedule was the same questions contained in the questionnaire, but because the
interviewees are illiterates, the researcher gets a translator to translate the questions, and then he ticks
the appropriate response in the questionnaire.
Procedure of Study
The researcher recruited two assistants in each of the five communities investigated. The assistants are
indigenes and they help in taking the researcher round to conduct the study. They also help in
translating the questions in their native dialects where necessary. The research assistants were
remunerated on a daily basis. The study lasted for three months (between November 2005 and January
2006).