The Niger Delta Avengers
10 July 2016 – There is a new militant group
emerging in Nigeria’s oil rich rich Delta region. They are filling the
void left by their predecessors, MEND, the Movement for the Emancipation
for the Niger Delta. Like MEND, they are blowing up oil pipelines and
terminals in an effort to gain greater control of their region’s coveted
resource. It’s not hard to understand why, as oil accounts for over 50%
of state revenues, but yet half of the people in this region live on
less than a dollar a day.
MEND began to quickly unwind in 2009 when they were bought off with an amnesty. With the ushering in of the Buhari regime, the Amnesty budget has been cut dramatically, some say by up to two thirds. Moreover, Buhari has expressed his intent to abolish this budget altogether, as Nigeria struggles to maintain the economic growth rates of yesteryear amid suppressed oil prices. This has meant that many former members of MEND have become discontent, and have come together to launch yet another offensive, this time under the moniker of the Niger Delta Avengers. The ring leader is said to be a man by the name of Tompolo, but he and the Avengers deny any link.
Bihari is stuck between a rock and a hard place. He is currently under a lot of pressure to slow down the contraction of Nigeria’s economy and safeguard the Naira against further depreciation. To achieve this he will need to make budget cuts wherever he can, and so minimising the amnesty payments to MEND is an obvious choice. This of course may mean that the Avengers will continue to sabotage oil assets in the Delta region which could cost Nigeria 40% of this years crude oil earnings, the primary driver of the country’s economy. The short term future of Nigeria’s economy may lie in the hands of this newly formed militant group.
MEND began to quickly unwind in 2009 when they were bought off with an amnesty. With the ushering in of the Buhari regime, the Amnesty budget has been cut dramatically, some say by up to two thirds. Moreover, Buhari has expressed his intent to abolish this budget altogether, as Nigeria struggles to maintain the economic growth rates of yesteryear amid suppressed oil prices. This has meant that many former members of MEND have become discontent, and have come together to launch yet another offensive, this time under the moniker of the Niger Delta Avengers. The ring leader is said to be a man by the name of Tompolo, but he and the Avengers deny any link.
Bihari is stuck between a rock and a hard place. He is currently under a lot of pressure to slow down the contraction of Nigeria’s economy and safeguard the Naira against further depreciation. To achieve this he will need to make budget cuts wherever he can, and so minimising the amnesty payments to MEND is an obvious choice. This of course may mean that the Avengers will continue to sabotage oil assets in the Delta region which could cost Nigeria 40% of this years crude oil earnings, the primary driver of the country’s economy. The short term future of Nigeria’s economy may lie in the hands of this newly formed militant group.
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