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Difficulty: Very hardEnvironmental Hazards and Resource Management in Nigeria

Following a national environmental audit in Nigeria, an inter-agency task force is deployed to combat two distinct ecological hazards: coastal mangrove degradation from petroleum leaks in the Niger Delta and rapid land degradation in the Sahelian northern borderlands. Which of the following correctly identifies the federal agency specifically mandated to manage the petroleum spills, alongside the primary human activity driving desertification in the Sahelian zone?

  1. National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA); excessive fuel-wood harvesting and overgrazing removing protective vegetal coverAnswer
  2. B
    National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA); excessive fuel-wood harvesting and overgrazing removing protective vegetal cover
  3. C
    National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA); torrential rainfall inducing deep vertical channel runoff on acidic soils
  4. D
    Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA); commercial extraction of renewable crude oil reserves in offshore basins

Answer

National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA); excessive fuel-wood harvesting and overgrazing removing protective vegetal cover
The correct option correctly identifies NOSDRA as the specialized federal agency established to lead oil spill detection and response in Nigeria's petroleum-producing zones. It also accurately pinpoints fuel-wood harvesting and overgrazing as the major human activities stripping vegetal cover in the Sahel, directly driving desert expansion in northern Nigeria.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the primary agency responsible for oil spill detection and response in Nigeria.
NOSDRA (established in 2006) holds the specific legal mandate for oil spill monitoring and containment in Nigeria, distinguishing it from general enforcement agencies like NESREA.
Regulatory frameworks assign targeted petroleum sector hazards to specialized statutory bodies.
2
Analyze the primary human causes of desertification in northern Nigeria.
Overgrazing by livestock herds, coupled with extensive fuel-wood cutting, removes the sparse vegetation cover of the Sahelian belt, exposing topsoil to aeolian erosion and advancing desert conditions.
Anthropogenic pressure on fragile dryland ecosystems accelerates land degradation beyond natural climate variability.
3
Synthesize the agency mandate with the regional ecological hazard driver.
The correct combination pairs NOSDRA with excessive fuel-wood harvesting and overgrazing.
Cross-matching spatial hazard drivers with environmental governance structures confirms the correct option.

Key Concept

Environmental Hazards and Resource Management in Nigeria
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Environmental Hazards and Resource Management in Nigeria

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