Oil giants Shell have accepted liability for the oil spills that have affected the picturesque Ogoniland region of Nigeria for the last decade. Despite the financial boost the area has received, residents have lived in tense, turbulent and often violent times since oil was first struck in 1958. However, since the spills, many of the local fishermen have been left facing poverty after the pollution has affected many of the rivers in the Ogoniland.
Residents are still waiting for any figures for the payouts but if the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is anything to go by, it could well reach into the billions. From ivory to diamonds and gold to oil, African countries are often exploited by large corporations which can so often lead to problems for the local people.