Is Black Gold Nigeria's biggest curse?

Crude oil also know as black gold was first drilled in 1956 at Oloibiri in the Niger Delta. That is now over 53 years ago, it was after this that Nigeria experienced a mass urban migration that resulted in hundreds of thousands leaving their farms. As a result 20 years later the Groundnut pyramids in Kano disappeared, Nigeria slipped from being the top Cocoa producer in the world. Nigeria also lost its influence as a top Palm oil and rubber producer in the world.

Black gold is now Nigeria's main source of income, earning it 95% of total foreign exchange. Since oil had been discovered at Oloibiri, many have lost their lives through illegal bunkering, others through uprisings against oil firms who have not done much for the communities they operate in. I was watching Newsnight on the BBC, and was amazed at the level of pollution in the Niger delta, everything is contaminated cutting off the livelihood of thousands of people who live off the delta.

Black gold been a real curse to Nigeria, we have not been able to use it to improve the quality of lives of the majority, and by it many have been killed or come to poverty. Maybe we need to return to the soil and try to recover our world rankings as lead producers of Cocoa, Palm oil, Rubber and Ground nut. As soon as we begin to lower our dependence on that black stuff, the better our lives could be. Let us follow in the steps of India and China and become the great nation we are destined to be.