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Long-term effects of oil spills in Bodo, Nigeria

Environmental devastation, ruined economy and deteriorating health afflict Bodo community years after Shell oil spill.

Joyful Paango, 20, and her family are among the thousands whose lives have been devastated by the Shell oil spills of 2008-2009. [Ari Labadi/Al Jazeera]
Joyful Paango, 20, and her family are among the thousands whose lives have been devastated by the Shell oil spills of 2008-2009. [Ari Labadi/Al Jazeera]
By 
Abigail Daisy Morgan
28 Jul 2017

Bodo Village, Nigeria – In 2008 and 2009, a 55-year-old pipeline owned by Shell ruptured twice, throwing up 600,000 barrels, according to UK court claims, of crude oil into the surrounding creeks of the Niger Delta.

In 2015, after many years of battles with campaigners, Shell announced it would pay out $83.2m in compensation for the spill. This was split up among the community. Most families received about 600,000 naira ($3,000). Yet after more than eight years that have passed, the community is still waiting desperately for the cleanup efforts promised to them. The creeks and shores of this once thriving fishing community remain decimated by the oil damage.

In January 2017, a British court blocked a lawsuit brought against the Anglo-Dutch Shell company by the devastated Nigerian communities, saying it must be filed in Nigeria.  

On January 26, 2017, as reported by the Associated Press, Kay Holtzmann, the former director of the project funded by Shell to clean up the oil spills, wrote a letter saying there are “astonishingly high” levels of pollution affecting the Nigerian community.

The letter was addressed to the chairperson of the Bodo Mediation Initiative, Inemo Samiama,  and outlined the potential health effect of the contamination on the Bodo community. “Although the locals are accustomed to their environment they are exposed to hazards and especially negative long-term effects on their health are unpredictable. The results dictate the need for a health screening of the Bodo people,” Holtzmann stated.

Joyful Paango, a resident in Bodo village, says she and her family have struggled with their health since the spill. She is concerned for her six younger siblings, who have been directly affected by the contamination. “I pray that God will take me and my family from Bodo one day.”

Read a related article on how the oil spill changed the lives of the Bodo community in Nigeria: ‘I remember the day…’

Joyful takes the lead in caring for her six younger siblings. When she is at home, her roles include cooking meals, cleaning the house, bathing her siblings, and cooking for the family. [Ari Labadi/Al Jazeera]
Joyful takes the lead in caring for her six younger siblings. When she is at home, her roles include cooking meals, cleaning the house, bathing her siblings, and cooking for the family. [Ari Labadi/Al Jazeera]
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None of Joyful's siblings attend school. Her family, who rely on fishing as a source of income, cannot afford the annual school fee of 300 NGN ($1) per child. Joyful dreams of one day becoming a teacher, so enjoys giving classes to her siblings when she has the time. [Ari Labadi/Al Jazeera]
None of Joyful's siblings attend school. Her family, who rely on fishing as a source of income, cannot afford the annual school fee of 300 NGN ($1) per child. Joyful dreams of one day becoming a teacher, so enjoys giving classes to her siblings when she has the time. [Ari Labadi/Al Jazeera]
Joyful is the only child in her family who has ever attended school. She finished most of her education before the oil spill happened. Once the effects of the spill started to take hold on the fishing community and her family, she had to drop out and start full-time work as a periwinkle picker. Periwinkle is a small edible sea snail, and is the only life form left in the area immediately surrounding Bodo village. [Ari Labadi/Al Jazeera]
Joyful is the only child in her family who has ever attended school. She finished most of her education before the oil spill happened. Once the effects of the spill started to take hold on the fishing community and her family, she had to drop out and start full-time work as a periwinkle picker. Periwinkle is a small edible sea snail, and is the only life form left in the area immediately surrounding Bodo village. [Ari Labadi/Al Jazeera]
In 2015, after many years of battles with campaigners, Shell announced it would pay out $83.2m in compensation for the spill. This was split up among the community. Most families received about 600,000 naira ($3,000). [Ari Labadi/Al Jazeera]
In 2015, after many years of battles with campaigners, Shell announced it would pay out $83.2m in compensation for the spill. This was split up among the community. Most families received about 600,000 naira ($3,000). [Ari Labadi/Al Jazeera]
With the payout money, many families tried to build houses. But without proper planning or affordable resources, the houses were never finished. It is common in Bodo village to see families living in a skeleton structure of a house that has no roof, windows or doors and even has walls missing. [Ari Labadi/Al Jazeera]
With the payout money, many families tried to build houses. But without proper planning or affordable resources, the houses were never finished. It is common in Bodo village to see families living in a skeleton structure of a house that has no roof, windows or doors and even has walls missing. [Ari Labadi/Al Jazeera]
Women are largely the ones who pick the sea snails as they are easily accessed off the sea banks, without the use of boats. Joyful, who learned how to pick periwinkles at the age of eight, says her younger sisters aren't allowed to pick the snails. The oil has contaminated water and gives them sinus problems. The lasting effects of the spill mean they must walk much longer distances to get to the periwinkles. [Ari Labadi/Al Jazeera]
Women are largely the ones who pick the sea snails as they are easily accessed off the sea banks, without the use of boats. Joyful, who learned how to pick periwinkles at the age of eight, says her younger sisters aren't allowed to pick the snails. The oil has contaminated water and gives them sinus problems. The lasting effects of the spill mean they must walk much longer distances to get to the periwinkles. [Ari Labadi/Al Jazeera]
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Joyful and her mother go out for their daily catch along the riverbank where they walk into the water and pick the snails from the bottom. She says that before the spill the periwinkles were five times as big as the ones she picks now, and they used to came back with buckets full of snails. These days, they are lucky to get one cupful. [Ari Labadi/Al Jazeera]
Joyful and her mother go out for their daily catch along the riverbank where they walk into the water and pick the snails from the bottom. She says that before the spill the periwinkles were five times as big as the ones she picks now, and they used to came back with buckets full of snails. These days, they are lucky to get one cupful. [Ari Labadi/Al Jazeera]
Fisherman are forced to fish further away to avoid pollution. Joyful's father use to do all his fishing 10 minutes' walk from their house and would be home every evening. Nowadays he goes away for three months at a time to fish and sell his goods at Port Harcourt, nearly 40km away. [Ari Labadi/Al Jazeera]
Fisherman are forced to fish further away to avoid pollution. Joyful's father use to do all his fishing 10 minutes' walk from their house and would be home every evening. Nowadays he goes away for three months at a time to fish and sell his goods at Port Harcourt, nearly 40km away. [Ari Labadi/Al Jazeera]
Her father and uncles spend three months away and one month at home fixing the nets and living with the family. Joyful and her siblings say they wish their father could come home every night like he used to. [Ari Labadi/Al Jazeera]
Her father and uncles spend three months away and one month at home fixing the nets and living with the family. Joyful and her siblings say they wish their father could come home every night like he used to. [Ari Labadi/Al Jazeera]
On days when Joyful and her mother are unable to pick enough periwinkles to sell, they have to cook the little they get for dinner or beg for food from their neighbours. [Ari Labadi/Al Jazeera]
On days when Joyful and her mother are unable to pick enough periwinkles to sell, they have to cook the little they get for dinner or beg for food from their neighbours. [Ari Labadi/Al Jazeera]
At high tide it is easy to think that Bodo’s mangroves and creeks are free from the spill. However, a study the Bodo Mediation Initiative found that 'astonishingly high' levels of pollution remained in the area. [Ari Labadi/Al Jazeera]
At high tide it is easy to think that Bodo’s mangroves and creeks are free from the spill. However, a study the Bodo Mediation Initiative found that 'astonishingly high' levels of pollution remained in the area. [Ari Labadi/Al Jazeera]
Some wildlife has returned to the waters surrounding Bodo village. Here a local fisherman shows us a crab he caught and gave to his young son to play with on the riverbank. [Abigail Daisy Morgan/Al Jazeera]
Some wildlife has returned to the waters surrounding Bodo village. Here a local fisherman shows us a crab he caught and gave to his young son to play with on the riverbank. [Abigail Daisy Morgan/Al Jazeera]
Fishermen set off at sunrise and return at sunset. They have to sail far away from the Bodo shores to fish to avoid the pollution. [Abigail Daisy Morgan/Al Jazeera]
Fishermen set off at sunrise and return at sunset. They have to sail far away from the Bodo shores to fish to avoid the pollution. [Abigail Daisy Morgan/Al Jazeera]
Two men work tirelessly in the heat of the day, building a bridge that connects one of the smaller Ogoniland communities to Bodo village. [Abigail Daisy Morgan/Al Jazeera]
Two men work tirelessly in the heat of the day, building a bridge that connects one of the smaller Ogoniland communities to Bodo village. [Abigail Daisy Morgan/Al Jazeera]

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