UNDERSTANDING OFFSHORE PETROLEUM ACTIVITIES INDUCED SOCIOECONOMIC DYNAMICS OF RURAL HOUSEHOLDS IN OIL-BEARING COASTAL COMMUNITIES OF NIGERIA

The study creates an understanding ofoffshore petroleum activities induced socioeconomic dynamics of rural households in oil-bearing coastal communities of Nigerias Niger Delta. It was carried out in six littoral Local Government Areas, 3 each from Bayelsa and Delta States in the Niger Delta, usinga sample size of 471 inhabitants, selectedrandomly, and are administered with astructured questionnaire each to obtain thedata required. It was analysed with the aid of SPSS to ascertain howvarying their opinions were to the issue in the region. It was discovered that offshore petroleum activitiesinducesocioeconomic changesto the age limit, sex and marital status, educational level, household size, among others of the rural households with respect toliving in the coastal oil-bearing/fishingcommunities of Nigerias Niger Delta. The recommendation is that stakeholders of the petroleum industryshould be mindful of the socioeconomic changes affecting the rural households and endeavour to create a balance betweenpetroleum exploitingand living in the region.