Environmental Degradation and Community Livelihoods in the Ogoni Area of Rivers State

Decades of oil extraction and recurrent spill events have left the Ogoni area of Rivers State severely degraded, with lasting consequences for the livelihoods of communities that depend on land and water resources for food, income, and cultural identity. This study examines the spatial pattern of environmental degradation in four Ogoni kingdoms (Gokana, Tai, Eleme, and Khana) and its relationship with observed livelihood outcomes among affected households. Land degradation mapping was conducted using Sentinel-2 multispectral imagery to classify contaminated soil, degraded vegetation, and polluted water bodies, complemented by in situ water and soil sample analyses collected at 30 locations during field work in 2023. Household survey data from 320 respondents were used to construct a livelihood assets index and assess linkages between environmental exposure and household welfare. Results confirm that 74 percent of surveyed farmland in Gokana and Tai shows measurable hydrocarbon contamination reflected in suppressed NDVI values and elevated total petroleum hydrocarbon concentrations in soil samples. Fishing households in Khana report a greater than 60 percent decline in daily catch volumes compared to pre-spill baselines recorded in community testimonies and secondary literature. The study supports accelerated implementation of the United Nations Environment Programme Ogoniland Assessment recommendations as the primary policy framework for remediation. Keywords: environmental degradation, oil spill, Ogoniland, livelihoods, South South Nigeria.