Analytical Study of Islamic Environmentalism and Ecological Awareness Among Muslim Communities in the Niger Delta

This study analyses Islamic environmentalism as an ideological and behavioural framework and examines its penetration among Muslim communities in the Niger Delta, focusing on Rivers, Bayelsa, and Delta states, South South Nigeria. The Niger Delta's ecological degradation from oil extraction poses existential risks to communities including the Muslim minority populations in the region. The study employs a mixed-methods design, combining a survey on Islamic environmental awareness and ecological behaviour administered to 260 Muslim adults with in-depth interviews with 20 Muslim community leaders and 10 environmental scholars. Data are analysed using structural equation modelling and thematic analysis. Findings reveal that while respondents demonstrate moderate awareness of Islamic environmental principles (Khalifah, Mizan, Fasad), this awareness does not significantly predict pro-environmental behaviour in the absence of community-level mobilisation and supportive infrastructure. The structural violence of oil pollution, perceived powerlessness against extractive industry actors, and limited environmental advocacy within mosque discourse are identified as key inhibiting factors. The study recommends mosque-led environmental advocacy programmes grounded in Quranic ecology, partnerships between Muslim organisations and environmental NGOs in the Niger Delta, and further research on faith-environmental behaviour dynamics in oil-affected Muslim minority communities. Keywords: Islamic environmentalism, Niger Delta, ecological awareness, Muslim communities, Khalifah.