ACCORD Occasional Paper - Volume 2006, Issue 3, January 2006

The above quotation epitomises the irony of oil endowment in Nigeria. It is contained in the conclusions and recommendations of the Human Rights Violations Investigation Commission (HRVIC), popularly known as the Oputa panel, which was set up by the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo to assuage and reconcile Nigerians following large-scale abuses of their rights under successive military regimes. As it happens, Nigeria has a huge deposit of crude oil that ranks among the best quality in the world. The oil resources are located in the Niger Delta area of the country.