“Agriculture is our main priority” was a quote from Professor EC Edozien, an economist who was the principal advisor to President Shagari (Gupte 1981). The dishonesty of this statement later became evident because the Shagari government was single-handedly responsible for the disappearance of several billion dollars of bribes and foreign currencies placed in international banks (Haller 2007, 65). Other worrying comments were made by economists who said the Nigerian government's ambitious plan would require oil extraction to be done as quickly and in as much quantity as possible, which is borne out by claims by government officials emphasizing the need to develop the economy before there is an oil shortage (cited by Gupte 1981). Many social problems have arisen from the political and economic conditions discussed. The indigenous peoples of the Niger Delta have experienced marginalization, violence and poverty because historical circumstances have reduced their control over their other resources. The Niger Delta indigenes lost a significant amount of control at independence when the whole of Nigeria was considered government property, including the oil (Manby 1999, 3). Since the days of colonialism, dating back to the Age of Enlightenment, indigenous methods have been considered backward and ineffective. This vision transcended colonialism and continued to exist within independent Nigeria. Indigenous ethnic groups, especially small minorities like the Ogoni, were pushed to the margins and their existence threatened by the more powerful and influential groups around them. Tobias Haller argues that the existence of various ethnic groups in Niger...... middle of paper ... depended on the oil companies and, most of the time, immediate gains took precedence over long-term costs. The Nigerian state is responsible for the indirect elements that led to oil pollution, such as: allowing Shell and other oil companies to operate without any environmental restrictions, choosing to base the economy around oil, increasing pressure on industry, and violence and corruption. this angered the natives and led to reprisals. Many state problems originated in the era of colonialism, but were pursued by a political elite hungry for immediate financial gains and development opportunities that benefited themselves and the projects they supported, but not to those who lived on the land where the oil came from. and those who have directly suffered the majority of the consequences of oil production and pollution.