The Role of the Church in Promoting Environmental Stewardship in the Niger Delta, South South Nigeria

The Niger Delta's severe environmental crisis, driven by decades of oil pollution and ecological degradation, presents a unique challenge and opportunity for theological engagement. The church's potential role in environmental stewardship advocacy and community mobilisation in this context remains under-examined in theological literature. This study analyses the role of the church in promoting environmental stewardship in the Niger Delta region, drawing on eco-theology, public theology, and social movement theory. A mixed-methods analytical design was adopted, examining the environmental engagement activities of twenty churches across Rivers, Delta, and Bayelsa States through documentary analysis and interviews with fifteen pastors, ten environmental activists who are Christians, and eight community environmental leaders. The study analyses how churches have engaged (or failed to engage) with the oil pollution crisis theologically and practically. Results reveal significant variation: some churches have developed prophetic voices against oil company negligence, while the majority remain silent on environmental issues due to financial dependencies on oil economy employment. The study identifies a gap between the rich biblical theology of creation stewardship available to Nigerian Christians and its application to the Niger Delta environmental emergency. Original contributions include a Niger Delta Eco-Theological Framework integrating creation care theology with contextual environmental advocacy. Recommendations include an Eco-Theology Teaching Initiative for Niger Delta church leaders.

Keywords: environmental stewardship, Niger Delta, eco-theology, church advocacy, South South Nigeria