CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2024
| Author | Popescu, Lara |
|---|---|
| Title | Black Gold and Bloodshed: The Greed vs. Grievance Dynamics of Oil Terrorism in Nigeria |
| Summary | This thesis investigates the driving forces behind terrorist attacks on the oil industry in Nigeria, focusing on the complex interplay between greed and grievance motivations in the Niger Delta. Employing a mixed-methods approach that combines quantitative and qualitative research methodologies, this study focuses on challenging the conventional “greed” narrative by analysing whether the existence of “grievances” provides a more substantial explanation for the engagement of local groups in terrorist tactics against the Nigerian oil industry. The major findings of the quantitative descriptive analysis indicate that grievances encompassing political, environmental, and socio-economic injustices experienced by the local communities, significantly outweigh purely economic motivations in prompting terrorist acts. The qualitative analysis, through detailed case studies, explores the specific grievances and motivations of these groups, revealing a complex interplay of historical marginalisation, lack of resource autonomy, and economic deprivation that fuels these violent responses. Overall, this thesis provides a nuanced understanding of the motivations behind oil terrorism, highlighting the predominance of grievance-driven violence over greed-driven actions in the context of the Niger Delta. |
| Supervisor | Fetzer, Thomas |
| Department | International Relations MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2024/popescu_lara.pdf |
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