Bodo is a town in the Gokana local government area of Rivers State, Nigeria.[1] Inhabited by Ogonis, it is located within Ogoniland.[2] In 2010, the community had a population of around 69,000 people.[3] A fishing and farming town, Bodo is known for having been the site of several severe oil spills in the 21st century.
Bodo | |
|---|---|
Town | |
  Bodo Location in Nigeria | |
| Coordinates: 4°37′N 7°16′E / 4.617°N 7.267°E | |
| Country |  Nigeria |
| State | Rivers State |
| LGA | Gokana |
| Population | |
| • Estimate (2010) | 69,000 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (WAT) |
Economy
editThe main occupations in Bodo are fishing and farming.[3] A lot of the farming work is done by hand, and by women. Cassava is one of the main staple crops of the town and of the region. Goat meat is also a local delicacy, and many inhabitants of Bodo raise goats.[4]
Oil spills
editIn 2003, a "relatively small" oil spill affected the mangroves in Bodo.[4]
In 2008 and 2009, two oil spills from the Trans-Niger pipeline operated by Shell Nigeria spilled at least 560,000 barrels of oil into the village's land, one of the biggest spills in decades of oil exploration in Nigeria.[5] As a fishing town, the livelihoods of the majority of Bodo's inhabitants were destroyed.[6] Fish populations were decimated, mangroves were destroyed, and water, fruits, and trees were all contaminated.[7][4] People's health was also widely affected during the years following the oil spill.[8] In January 2015, Shell was forced to pay £55 million in compensation for the 2008 and 2009 oil spills in Bodo, with £35 million going directly to affected individuals and the other £20 million to the Bodo community.[7][9] At the time, the settlement was thought to be the largest payout to any African community following environmental damage.[9] However, by 2017, Bodo residents were still waiting for cleanup efforts promised to them by Shell.[8]
In October 2022, a fresh oil spill was detected in Bodo, once again due to the Trans-Niger pipeline operated by Shell.[10]
References
edit- ^ "Map of Bodo Creek in the Niger Delta, Nigeria". ResearchGate. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
- ^ "Ogoniland: See how Shell don do oil waka". BBC News Pidgin (in Nigerian Pidgin). 28 November 2017. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
- ^ a b Sampson, Akanimo (13 December 2010). "Nigeria: Bodo - Ogoni Community Where Fishermen Cry (1)". AllAfrica. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
- ^ a b c "Life In Bodo". Bebor.org. 20 June 2012. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
- ^ "Shell agrees $84m deal over Niger Delta oil spill". BBC News. 7 January 2015. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
- ^ "Shell - Bodo". Leigh Day. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
- ^ a b "Bodo, Nigeria: "I was so happy that Shell agreed to pay"". Amnesty International. 7 May 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
- ^ a b Daisy Morgan, Abigail (28 July 2017). "Long-term effects of oil spills in Bodo, Nigeria". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
- ^ a b Vidal, John (6 January 2015). "Shell announces £55m payout for Nigeria oil spills". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
- ^ Godwin, Ann (18 October 2022). "Fresh oil spill occurs in Bodo community". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 March 2023.