Geospatial Analysis of Occupational Hazard Distribution and Health Outcomes in Nigeria’s Oil-Producing Communities: A GIS-Based Epidemiological Study

The spatial distribution of occupational and environmental hazards across Nigeria's oil-producing Niger Delta region is heterogeneous and understudied, with implications for targeted intervention prioritization and environmental justice analysis. This doctoral study conducted a geospatial analysis of occupational hazard distribution and associated worker health outcomes in oil-producing communities across Rivers, Delta, and Bayelsa States. Geographic information systems (GIS) methodology was integrated with spatial epidemiology, environmental sampling, and health survey data from 1,800 workers and community residents across 45 communities. Environmental data layers included oil spill incident coordinates, gas flaring sites, community wellhead density, and monitoring station air quality readings. Health outcome data comprised occupational disease self-report, biomarker sampling (lead, mercury, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), and clinical records. Geographically weighted regression, spatial autocorrelation analysis, and hotspot mapping identified statistically significant spatial clustering of elevated PAH exposure and respiratory disease outcomes within 2 km of active flare stacks. Disparate hazard burden was confirmed for Indigenous fishing communities compared to formal oil facility workers despite equivalent geographic proximity to hazard sources. The study produces an original GIS-integrated occupational and environmental health risk atlas for the Niger Delta, providing spatial evidence for targeted intervention programming. It recommends regulatory flare-out enforcement, community health monitoring stations, and environmental justice considerations in Niger Delta occupational health policy frameworks. Keywords: geospatial analysis, occupational hazards, Niger Delta, oil communities, environmental justice.