Business Ethics - The Niger Delta

Résumé du document

This report is going to talk about the case of the Niger Delta and its intrinsic oil exploitation as well as gas flaring, which cause damages to the local population and impacts the environment. Moreover, the Nigerian government mismanages its revenues in wasting the gas flared that could be an important financial resource for the country. This complex situation arose due to the presence of different actors who definitely lack ethics. Indeed, oil companies have huge financial interests in this region and the government is unable to find compromises between corruption and common interests. There is no doubt that several reasons impact the region and its ethical problems that are also linked to economic, political, social, and environmental issues.

Extraits

[...] Due to this, oil companies will have no interest in staying in the region and will leave. But at the same time, leaving suddenly would bring other issues to solve such as environmental restructuration, unemployment, etc. Recommendations We recommend the Nigerian government: To set up a law for reducing and limiting gas flaring according to the Kyoto protocol; To increase the level of taxation for oil companies exploiting their natural resources; To install partitioning between politics, business and army; To invest in gas recycling systems providing energy; To act in the interest of its citizen; To implant its own national oil company instead of foreign ones; To ban corruption and bribery; We recommend the oil companies present in the Niger Delta: To voluntarily reduce their oil and gas exploitations; To reduce the emission of greenhouse gas emissions; To better pay their employees; To help investing in new gas recycling infrastructures; We recommend the local population: To moderate their conflicts among themselves; To alert the African opinion; To find compromises with the local authorities; We recommend international organizations or governments: To lobby and put pressure on the oil industry; To incite the Nigerian government taking reasonable decisions; To alert medias and public opinions; To set up treaties and international agreements; Conclusion To conclude, the Niger Delta is a perfect example that illustrates the power of foreign multinational firms that exploit resources without taking into consideration ethics. [...]

[...] This theory shares the vision that an ethical choice has to yield the most benefit to most people whatever the means. A point system helps to compare the best predicted solutions, so that this theory is more rational than the former one. Rule utilitarianism is the same theory with a perspective of fairness and law. Thus, the government should act in a way that will satisfy the maximum of people, regardless of its financial interests and partnerships with oil companies, but with respect to fairness and law. [...]

[...] However, are also some positive impacts on the local population. The oil companies that are present there, provide many jobs that lot of denizens envy. Ethical issues Owing to all elements we saw previously, several actors are responsible for major ethical issues. These ethical issues actually result from different reasons that we can separate into economic, political and environmental reasons. The gas flared into the atmosphere could have been spared and used in a different way to produce energy through power infrastructures. [...]

[...] Firstly, the oil companies, which are present in the Niger Delta, overexploit and take advantage of enormous quantities of natural resources at low costs. We can't deny that making profits is their only goal. Thus, they totally ignore the moral side of their activities and the ethical issues linked to this, that they cause in the region. Companies such as Shell or Agip deny the locals their rights and do not respect their communicated ethics. This can be prejudicial for their image and legitimacy. [...]

[...] This study aims to analyze the ethical implications of gas flaring and oil exploration in the Niger Delta. We should consider the consequences for local population, for oil companies and for the Nigerian government. Thus, the thesis that we are going to develop is intrinsically linked to our own points of view. We believe that if the Nigerian government stops or decide to reduce gas flaring and oil exploration, several consequences will arise; some positive and some, of course, negative. [...]