BETWEEN LIVELIHOOD AND LIABILITY SOCIOECONOMIC COSTS OF ARTISANAL REFINING IN RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between the socioeconomic impact of artisanal refining   and its implications for economic opportunities in Rivers state. Specifically, the study examined the effect of how the socioeconomic impact of artisanal oil refining implicate economic development in Rivers State. Thus, the central questions of this study is: How does socioeconomic impact of artisanal refining implicate economic opportunities in Rivers State? The theory of the Resource Curse was adopted as our framework of analysis and data was gathered through the documentary method of data collection and Key Informant Interview. Our data analysis was based on qualitative descriptive analysis and the time series research design was adopted. The study found that destruction of natural means of livelihood, problem of poverty alleviation and revenue loss, infrastructural deficit and the health impact of social dynamics resulted to loss of economic opportunities in Rivers state. The implication of our findings is that the activities of artisanal oil refiners result to grave socioeconomic impacts through revenue loss, infrastructural deficit and worsening health condition of the people in Rivers state.