Niger Delta: The Business of the Oil Curse - Paperback

by Marc-Antoine Pérouse de Montclos (Author)

Based on 30 years of fieldwork in the Niger Delta, this book debunks the determinism of the resource curse theory in Nigeria, Africa's leading oil producer and the most populous country on the continent. It rather shows that oil and gas production is only one element of a social problem with much deeper roots. It also investigates the role played by the youth, a key issue in a society where half of the population is under 18 years old. To understand the multiple causes of the crisis, it thus delves into the complexity of a rich history.

Author Biography

Marc-Antoine Pérouse de Montclos is a Senior Researcher at the Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD) in Paris, a Doctor in political science and a specialist on armed conflicts in Africa. He graduated from the Institut d'études politiques in Paris (IEP) and lived during several years in Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya.