Between 2016 – 2017 SDN engaged with locals to design and implement long-lasting solutions to the artisanal oil industry. Alternative livelihoods were the number one priority – so SDN worked with former artisanal oil industry workers to identify and trial appropriate options between 2017 – 2020.
Fishing is the dominant livelihood in the creeks of the Niger Delta, and SDN supported actors to build on their local practices with improved inputs and processing, to boost the volume and value of produce. 40 individuals, either engaged or at risk of entering the artisanal oil industry, increased their profit by 50% on average.
The results demonstrate what is possible for the government if it focuses on supporting the local economy and employment generation, instead of using the military. It also highlights commercially viable opportunities for the private sector to invest, and dispels the stigma that the Niger Delta is too insecure for business.
Find out more about the artisanal oil industry.
Find out more about SDN’s other livelihood projects in this area.
