Arabic Video News in English

Andrew Simmons goes on patrol with Nigerian armed forces in Port Harcourt in the oil-rich Niger Delta, one of the most dangerous places in the world

Given the country’s vast oil reserves, Nigerians should theoretically be among the wealthiest populations in the world. But for the people of the Niger Delta poverty, conflict and corruption are a daily reality. Haru Mutasa and Andrew Simmons report.

They’re a tribe that have relied on traditional nomadic ways for centuries, but now the Tuaregs in Niger are facing a new challenge. With the increasing pace of modernisation and the country’s rich mineral wealth, many are questioning whether the time has come to embrace change.

The 2007 National elections are approaching in Nigeria. People & Power reporter Juliana Ruhfus and director Hazel Chandler travel to the conflict ridden and oil rich Niger Delta to explore what is at stake. In spite of the Delta’s vast oil wealth the people are poor — and deprived of a democratic voice. As a result, the last 15 months has seen an escalation in militant groups operating in the region. Some claim that that they are fighting to help ensure local people benefit from the Delta’s oil wealth, in the face of intimidation and corruption from politicians.

The 2007 National elections are approaching in Nigeria. People & Power reporter Juliana Ruhfus and director Hazel Chandler travel to the conflict ridden and oil rich Niger Delta to explore what is at stake. Following a trail of corruption they find that many local politicians see elections as a way of ‘getting to the trough’ - using government revenue for personal benefit whilst education and health provision deterioates.