It seems the Niger Delta is currently a concern (as well as a cause) for more reasons than one. Government disagreements, increased militant attacks on oil facilities, a substantial decrease in crude oil production and a tumultuous week in the rise of Boko Haram attacks are all centred on a single focus – the Niger Delta.

Ibe Kachikwu, Nigeria’s deputy Minister of Petroleum and Group Managing Director of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), has embarked on a one-man charm offensive to try and douse tension in the Niger Delta. The area has seen a surge of militant attacks on oil facilities which have led to a cut in Nigeria’s crude oil production by about 40%.

At a recent town hall meeting organised by the Federal Government, Kachikwu openly disagreed with Minister of Transport and Aviation, Rotimi Amaechi, over an abandoned maritime university project in the Niger Delta. It is a key demand of militants that the project be completed. Amaechi insists that the project will not go ahead because the process of awarding the contract for building the university has been tainted with corruption. Whilst on the reverse Kachikwu believes that even if the process was tainted with corruption, it is not enough reason for the whole project to be abandoned. But whatever peace the government seeks will not come easy following the emergence of strong divisions among militant and ethnic groups in the region.

The Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), despite issuing a statement that it is now ready for dialogue, claimed another attack on a NNPC Pipeline. NNPC confirmed the leak, though not the cause, but admitted it has forced it to switch off gas supply through the pipeline.

The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, disclosed that 23 gas pipelines have been vandalized since 14 February 2016, leading to a sharp drop in power supply across the country. Nigeria’s power supply is mainly generated through thermal power plants located in the Niger Delta, which means that the attacks on oil facilities not only affect crude oil production but also power supply in the country.

In response to this, the Nigerian military has been forced to divert more planes to the Niger Delta to watch over pipelines and other oil assets. However, among the multinational forces that are facing Boko Haram, Nigeria is the biggest member and is where the terrorist group largely operates. Therefore, any reduction of the pressure on the group, frees them to stage increasing attacks in Nigeria and against neighbouring countries as has been seen in the past few weeks. On the 14 and 17 June three separate, deadly attacks took place by Boko Haram. This has raised concerns that the terrorist group may be staging a comeback within the North East, and that the diversion of military equipment by the Nigerian army to fight militants in the Niger Delta may be reducing the pressure on Boko Haram and enabling them to regroup and stage their deadly attacks. Perhaps, realising this situation, the Nigerian Airforce announced that it is redeploying six fighter jets in the region, three of which will cover the Diffa region in Niger to help strengthen the ground forces in the area.