The oil exploration and marketing activities of multinational corporations in Nigeria are guided by certain regulations. This paper explores some selected oil regulations in Nigeria vis-a-vis problems of compliance as encountered by oil corporations in the Niger Delta region. It argues that the lack of institutional structure for enforcement of petroleum regulations in the oilproducing communities of Niger Delta, particularly in Ijaw and Ogonis land, serves as major factor that led to the environmental struggle against the Federal government in the area as from the 1990s. In order to unravel this important part of the controversy that surrounds the complexities of the 1969 Petroleum Act and the 1978 Land Use Act in particular, this paper equally provides an in-depth interpretation of the ownership and control of mineral oil resources in the Niger Delta. It investigates the problems of compliance to these oil regulations established by the government which eventually accentuated the rate of environmental oil pollution and gas flaring in the region. It contends that the conflicts in the Niger Delta could be linked to the noncompliance with oil regulations meant to ensure a clean, safe, preservation of and habitable environment in their oil producing communities. It therefore concludes that there is urgent need to establish a new institution that would be free from any executive influences, and serve as the watch-dog over enforcement of petroleum regulations in the entire Niger Delta region. It further suggests that with the establishment of this independent institution, it would permit the government to channel its efforts and resources toward the social and economic development of the area and Nigeria at large. This would equally ensure adequate control of the struggle by the militant youths for a fair share from the oil revenue accruing to the federal government and the multinational oil corporations.

The oil exploration and marketing activities of multinational corporations in Nigeria are guided by certain regulations. This paper explores some selected oil regulations in Nigeria vis-a-vis problems of compliance as encountered by oil corporations in the Niger Delta region. It argues that the l...