Background: The oil-rich Niger Delta suffers from extensive petroleum contamination. A pilot stud... more Background: The oil-rich Niger Delta suffers from extensive petroleum contamination. A pilot study was conducted in the region of Ogoniland where one community, Ogale, has drinking water wells highly contaminated with a refined oil product. In a 2011 study, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) sampled Ogale drinking water wells and detected numerous petroleum hydrocarbons, including benzene at concentrations as much as 1800 times higher than the USEPA drinking water standard. UNEP recommended immediate provision of clean drinking water, medical surveillance, and a prospective cohort study. Although the Nigerian government has provided emergency drinking water, other UNEP recommendations have not been implemented. We aimed to (i) follow up on UNEP recommendations by investigating health symptoms associated with exposure to contaminated water; and (ii) assess the adequacy and utilization of the government-supplied emergency drinking water. Methods: We recruited 200 particip...
SUMMARY Generally, academic research is conducted within paradigms, which represent a researcher’... more SUMMARY Generally, academic research is conducted within paradigms, which represent a researcher’s particular way of thinking about a subject matter and which are shared with other like minds. When an area of inquiry is in its infancy and there are no scientific theories from which to hypothesize, such research can only begin by induction. Knowledge in this case begins with collecting facts and then trying to find some order in them in a process known as inductive reasoning. Inductive reasoning begins with observations and measures, detects patterns and regularities, formulates some tentative hypothesis that can be explored and finally ends up developing some general conclusions or theories. It is open-ended and exploratory and where the knowledge sought is inseparable from the situational and personal aspects of those involved, some degree of generalization can be achieved by making allowances for local and personal influences. This paper outlines a number of research problems asso...
SUMMARY Environmental surveys that require access to communal, family and individual farmlands, m... more SUMMARY Environmental surveys that require access to communal, family and individual farmlands, mangrove swamps or fishing villages to obtain data, can be very challenging to any team of environmental professionals working locally or on international development related projects. Land access restrictions may be imposed by different interest groups or stakeholders whose actions could interfere with the overall conduct or success of any environmental survey irrespective of its laudable goals and objectives. It might also be that the traditional land tenure patterns may differ significantly from land tenure patterns as understood by a multicultural project management team. In Nigeria, following a Federal Government invitation in 2006, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) undertook a comprehensive environmental survey of several communities in the Niger Delta region following reported and documented high levels of hydro-carbon pollution in these areas 1 . Using an innovative ...
... A Challenge for Globalization Iyenemi Ibimina Kakulu (Nigeria) and Frances Plimmer (United Ki... more ... A Challenge for Globalization Iyenemi Ibimina Kakulu (Nigeria) and Frances Plimmer (United Kingdom) ABSTRACT Key Words ... the necessary professional services for its needs. However, this is not always the case. The system can break down for historical and political ...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
The implications of environmental contamination on human health in the Niger Delta region of Nige... more The implications of environmental contamination on human health in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria remain a topic of growing international public health interest. To better understand ongoing air pollution and initiate remediation efforts, the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) report recommended the monitoring of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) across different media (water, soil, and air) in Ogoniland, an at-risk population in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. In this pilot study, we measured indoor VOC concentrations in the indoor air of 20 households in Ogale, an Ogoniland community whose groundwater system is contaminated with benzene at levels 900 times the World Health Organization guidelines and evaluated self-reported health conditions and predicted cancer risks and hazards from inhalation exposure to VOCs. We detected higher concentrations of benzene (mean = 25.7 μg/m3, SD = 23.2 μg/m3) and naphthalene (mean = 7.6 μg/m3, SD = 13.8 μg/m3) than has been repor...
A fundamental basis of land and property valuation is the identification of an income stream whic... more A fundamental basis of land and property valuation is the identification of an income stream which forms the basis of valuation. Where an established income stream has been interfered with as a result of pollution, the extent of interference can be capitalized to determine the quantum of compensation. The study is a theoretical review on the processes involved in establishing the relationship between contamination and the future farm incomes stream. It proposes a multidisciplinary approach to the contaminated land valuation (CLV) process, and proposes a model which can be used in the valuation of contaminated land. The model places emphasis on the need for the professional valuer or appraiser to play a more specialist and technical role during a post-impact environmental assessment survey, particularly during the analysis and interpretation of the results of the scientific investigation. Within the context of income growth or reduction of existing incomes as a result of the impact, the involvement of the valuation professional can foster better understanding and clarification of the immediate; short-term; medium and long-term implications of the impact, on soil productivity and consequently the income profile of land resources which is an essential requirement for valuation.
ABSTRACT Urban development and re-development processes occur within a complex scenario of locati... more ABSTRACT Urban development and re-development processes occur within a complex scenario of locational or economic advantages and constraints which together combine to shape the overall pattern of the physical development and ultimately land value patterns. In oil and gas producing areas, production activities are facilitated by pipeline infrastructure traversing several kilometres and criss-crossing several communities and towns along its path from source through processing to consumption outlets or export terminals. The oil industry generally enjoys wayleaves under various enactments that enable them restrict third party access over such pipelines rights of way but from an urban development perspective, there are potential planning and development challenges arising from pipeline wayleaves which should be taken into consideration in urban design or upgrade. In Nigeria, the launch of the 50-year Greater Port Harcourt City development master plan in 2008, presents an opportunity to review historic development patterns shaped by pipelines wayleaves alongside the potential challenges this will have on the implementation of the new master plan. The study reveals that peri-urban lands severed by pipeline wayleaves exhibit a development pattern similar in shape to a spider's web with isolated pockets of land bounded on all sides by pipelines. It recommends the adaptation of this 'spider's web' phenomenon as a development model that can manage the land use requirements of the Master Plan, in harmony with existing land use pattern and thereby unlock land value potentials.
All research is conducted within paradigms, which represent the researcher's particular way of th... more All research is conducted within paradigms, which represent the researcher's particular way of thinking about their subject matter and which they share with other like minds. When an area of research or inquiry is largely under-researched and there are no significant documented theories from which to hypothesize, such research can only begin by induction. It can only begin with collecting facts and then trying to find some order in them in a process known as inductive reasoning. Inductive reasoning is open-ended and exploratory and begins with observations and measures, detects patterns and regularities, formulates some tentative hypothesis that can be explored and finally ends up developing some general conclusions or theories. Where the knowledge sought is inseparable from the situational and personal aspects of those involved, some degree of generalization can be achieved by making allowances for local and personal influences. This paper advocates that research methodology in real estate research in Nigeria should make allowances for local perceptions and values particularly as research is still in its infancy in several aspects of the profession. It recommends phenomenology and case study research strategies, focus group data collection methods and the use of an innovative content analysis tool (BB model) for data analysis and interpretation of findings.
ABSTRACT With the adverse effects of climate change such as intense rainfall, storms and flooding... more ABSTRACT With the adverse effects of climate change such as intense rainfall, storms and flooding on the increase, buildings will have to adapt and take on new roles in addition to the primary function of providing shelter to cope with future impacts of climate change. In this paper, selected buildings in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State that were affected during the 2012 flood, were examined using damage assessment survey methods to determine the nature and level of damage the buildings incurred and the future maintenance implications. The findings revealed various levels of damage based on varying degrees of water retention in the buildings as well as a change in building deterioration patterns in Yenagoa. This paper recognizes the need for architects and property managers alike to be more proactive in design and property management research to enhance flood resilience in buildings. It also suggests the adaptation of existing techniques and the experimentation of innovative flood resilience methods for possible best practice in Yenagoa.
Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) simply described, is the provision of education at al... more Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) simply described, is the provision of education at all levels from a sustainability standpoint. Sustainable development (SD) has been defined severally to include concern for the environment; acknowledgement of climate change and its implications; equity and justice; poverty reduction; pro-poor land tenure systems; gender inequality and other topical issues. Agenda 21 recognizes education in all its forms (including public awareness and training) as an essential means for achieving progress towards sustainable development which will foster the implementation of all chapters of the Agenda. Education is no longer seen as an end in itself but rather as a key instrument for bringing about the changes in knowledge, values, behaviour and lifestyles required to achieve sustainability. One area of growing concern in the higher education sector in Nigeria, and in the Rivers State University of Science and Technology in particular, is the question o...
Environmental Assessment projects range from very simple local projects involving the investigati... more Environmental Assessment projects range from very simple local projects involving the investigation of a single site to large and more complex international projects involving multiple locations; investigating multiple environmental media; and executed by a multi-cultural project management team. In the case of a post impact assessment survey, the goal is to gain access to impacted sites; collect relevant data; analyse the data and produce a report. In real life situations however, such a simple description does not match the complexity of the process as observed in actual field operations. The socioeconomic and socio-cultural environment in which a project takes place presents its own challenges to a project management team and an understanding of the expectations of local community which is a key success indicator. In the absence of working knowledge and understanding of local expectations, complex international projects may depend on joint working relationships between independent bodies in the form of collaborative partnerships to achieve their set goals. Using this approach, the planning and implementation of the project's activities becomes joint responsibility of the partners and which may lead to the creation of new organizational structures and new implementation processes. that is grounded in phenomenology; a qualitative case-study research strategy and participant observation as the primary data collection method including content analysis of field notes. The findings indicate changes to normative operational procedures as a result of the partnership and recommends replication of this approach in similar international EIA projects, particularly in developing countries.
JULY, 2014 2 The research on 'New Compensation Rates and Processes in Nigeria' was initia... more JULY, 2014 2 The research on 'New Compensation Rates and Processes in Nigeria' was initiated and facilitated by the Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN) with funding from the Dutch Ministry. The research team gratefully acknowledges this support and is convinced that focussed action research of this nature is a catalyst to meaningful change and a more sustainable oil and gas industry in Nigeria.
Background: The oil-rich Niger Delta suffers from extensive petroleum contamination. A pilot stud... more Background: The oil-rich Niger Delta suffers from extensive petroleum contamination. A pilot study was conducted in the region of Ogoniland where one community, Ogale, has drinking water wells highly contaminated with a refined oil product. In a 2011 study, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) sampled Ogale drinking water wells and detected numerous petroleum hydrocarbons, including benzene at concentrations as much as 1800 times higher than the USEPA drinking water standard. UNEP recommended immediate provision of clean drinking water, medical surveillance, and a prospective cohort study. Although the Nigerian government has provided emergency drinking water, other UNEP recommendations have not been implemented. We aimed to (i) follow up on UNEP recommendations by investigating health symptoms associated with exposure to contaminated water; and (ii) assess the adequacy and utilization of the government-supplied emergency drinking water. Methods: We recruited 200 particip...
SUMMARY Generally, academic research is conducted within paradigms, which represent a researcher’... more SUMMARY Generally, academic research is conducted within paradigms, which represent a researcher’s particular way of thinking about a subject matter and which are shared with other like minds. When an area of inquiry is in its infancy and there are no scientific theories from which to hypothesize, such research can only begin by induction. Knowledge in this case begins with collecting facts and then trying to find some order in them in a process known as inductive reasoning. Inductive reasoning begins with observations and measures, detects patterns and regularities, formulates some tentative hypothesis that can be explored and finally ends up developing some general conclusions or theories. It is open-ended and exploratory and where the knowledge sought is inseparable from the situational and personal aspects of those involved, some degree of generalization can be achieved by making allowances for local and personal influences. This paper outlines a number of research problems asso...
SUMMARY Environmental surveys that require access to communal, family and individual farmlands, m... more SUMMARY Environmental surveys that require access to communal, family and individual farmlands, mangrove swamps or fishing villages to obtain data, can be very challenging to any team of environmental professionals working locally or on international development related projects. Land access restrictions may be imposed by different interest groups or stakeholders whose actions could interfere with the overall conduct or success of any environmental survey irrespective of its laudable goals and objectives. It might also be that the traditional land tenure patterns may differ significantly from land tenure patterns as understood by a multicultural project management team. In Nigeria, following a Federal Government invitation in 2006, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) undertook a comprehensive environmental survey of several communities in the Niger Delta region following reported and documented high levels of hydro-carbon pollution in these areas 1 . Using an innovative ...
... A Challenge for Globalization Iyenemi Ibimina Kakulu (Nigeria) and Frances Plimmer (United Ki... more ... A Challenge for Globalization Iyenemi Ibimina Kakulu (Nigeria) and Frances Plimmer (United Kingdom) ABSTRACT Key Words ... the necessary professional services for its needs. However, this is not always the case. The system can break down for historical and political ...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
The implications of environmental contamination on human health in the Niger Delta region of Nige... more The implications of environmental contamination on human health in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria remain a topic of growing international public health interest. To better understand ongoing air pollution and initiate remediation efforts, the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) report recommended the monitoring of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) across different media (water, soil, and air) in Ogoniland, an at-risk population in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. In this pilot study, we measured indoor VOC concentrations in the indoor air of 20 households in Ogale, an Ogoniland community whose groundwater system is contaminated with benzene at levels 900 times the World Health Organization guidelines and evaluated self-reported health conditions and predicted cancer risks and hazards from inhalation exposure to VOCs. We detected higher concentrations of benzene (mean = 25.7 μg/m3, SD = 23.2 μg/m3) and naphthalene (mean = 7.6 μg/m3, SD = 13.8 μg/m3) than has been repor...
A fundamental basis of land and property valuation is the identification of an income stream whic... more A fundamental basis of land and property valuation is the identification of an income stream which forms the basis of valuation. Where an established income stream has been interfered with as a result of pollution, the extent of interference can be capitalized to determine the quantum of compensation. The study is a theoretical review on the processes involved in establishing the relationship between contamination and the future farm incomes stream. It proposes a multidisciplinary approach to the contaminated land valuation (CLV) process, and proposes a model which can be used in the valuation of contaminated land. The model places emphasis on the need for the professional valuer or appraiser to play a more specialist and technical role during a post-impact environmental assessment survey, particularly during the analysis and interpretation of the results of the scientific investigation. Within the context of income growth or reduction of existing incomes as a result of the impact, the involvement of the valuation professional can foster better understanding and clarification of the immediate; short-term; medium and long-term implications of the impact, on soil productivity and consequently the income profile of land resources which is an essential requirement for valuation.
ABSTRACT Urban development and re-development processes occur within a complex scenario of locati... more ABSTRACT Urban development and re-development processes occur within a complex scenario of locational or economic advantages and constraints which together combine to shape the overall pattern of the physical development and ultimately land value patterns. In oil and gas producing areas, production activities are facilitated by pipeline infrastructure traversing several kilometres and criss-crossing several communities and towns along its path from source through processing to consumption outlets or export terminals. The oil industry generally enjoys wayleaves under various enactments that enable them restrict third party access over such pipelines rights of way but from an urban development perspective, there are potential planning and development challenges arising from pipeline wayleaves which should be taken into consideration in urban design or upgrade. In Nigeria, the launch of the 50-year Greater Port Harcourt City development master plan in 2008, presents an opportunity to review historic development patterns shaped by pipelines wayleaves alongside the potential challenges this will have on the implementation of the new master plan. The study reveals that peri-urban lands severed by pipeline wayleaves exhibit a development pattern similar in shape to a spider's web with isolated pockets of land bounded on all sides by pipelines. It recommends the adaptation of this 'spider's web' phenomenon as a development model that can manage the land use requirements of the Master Plan, in harmony with existing land use pattern and thereby unlock land value potentials.
All research is conducted within paradigms, which represent the researcher's particular way of th... more All research is conducted within paradigms, which represent the researcher's particular way of thinking about their subject matter and which they share with other like minds. When an area of research or inquiry is largely under-researched and there are no significant documented theories from which to hypothesize, such research can only begin by induction. It can only begin with collecting facts and then trying to find some order in them in a process known as inductive reasoning. Inductive reasoning is open-ended and exploratory and begins with observations and measures, detects patterns and regularities, formulates some tentative hypothesis that can be explored and finally ends up developing some general conclusions or theories. Where the knowledge sought is inseparable from the situational and personal aspects of those involved, some degree of generalization can be achieved by making allowances for local and personal influences. This paper advocates that research methodology in real estate research in Nigeria should make allowances for local perceptions and values particularly as research is still in its infancy in several aspects of the profession. It recommends phenomenology and case study research strategies, focus group data collection methods and the use of an innovative content analysis tool (BB model) for data analysis and interpretation of findings.
ABSTRACT With the adverse effects of climate change such as intense rainfall, storms and flooding... more ABSTRACT With the adverse effects of climate change such as intense rainfall, storms and flooding on the increase, buildings will have to adapt and take on new roles in addition to the primary function of providing shelter to cope with future impacts of climate change. In this paper, selected buildings in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State that were affected during the 2012 flood, were examined using damage assessment survey methods to determine the nature and level of damage the buildings incurred and the future maintenance implications. The findings revealed various levels of damage based on varying degrees of water retention in the buildings as well as a change in building deterioration patterns in Yenagoa. This paper recognizes the need for architects and property managers alike to be more proactive in design and property management research to enhance flood resilience in buildings. It also suggests the adaptation of existing techniques and the experimentation of innovative flood resilience methods for possible best practice in Yenagoa.
Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) simply described, is the provision of education at al... more Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) simply described, is the provision of education at all levels from a sustainability standpoint. Sustainable development (SD) has been defined severally to include concern for the environment; acknowledgement of climate change and its implications; equity and justice; poverty reduction; pro-poor land tenure systems; gender inequality and other topical issues. Agenda 21 recognizes education in all its forms (including public awareness and training) as an essential means for achieving progress towards sustainable development which will foster the implementation of all chapters of the Agenda. Education is no longer seen as an end in itself but rather as a key instrument for bringing about the changes in knowledge, values, behaviour and lifestyles required to achieve sustainability. One area of growing concern in the higher education sector in Nigeria, and in the Rivers State University of Science and Technology in particular, is the question o...
Environmental Assessment projects range from very simple local projects involving the investigati... more Environmental Assessment projects range from very simple local projects involving the investigation of a single site to large and more complex international projects involving multiple locations; investigating multiple environmental media; and executed by a multi-cultural project management team. In the case of a post impact assessment survey, the goal is to gain access to impacted sites; collect relevant data; analyse the data and produce a report. In real life situations however, such a simple description does not match the complexity of the process as observed in actual field operations. The socioeconomic and socio-cultural environment in which a project takes place presents its own challenges to a project management team and an understanding of the expectations of local community which is a key success indicator. In the absence of working knowledge and understanding of local expectations, complex international projects may depend on joint working relationships between independent bodies in the form of collaborative partnerships to achieve their set goals. Using this approach, the planning and implementation of the project's activities becomes joint responsibility of the partners and which may lead to the creation of new organizational structures and new implementation processes. that is grounded in phenomenology; a qualitative case-study research strategy and participant observation as the primary data collection method including content analysis of field notes. The findings indicate changes to normative operational procedures as a result of the partnership and recommends replication of this approach in similar international EIA projects, particularly in developing countries.
JULY, 2014 2 The research on 'New Compensation Rates and Processes in Nigeria' was initia... more JULY, 2014 2 The research on 'New Compensation Rates and Processes in Nigeria' was initiated and facilitated by the Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN) with funding from the Dutch Ministry. The research team gratefully acknowledges this support and is convinced that focussed action research of this nature is a catalyst to meaningful change and a more sustainable oil and gas industry in Nigeria.
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