Nigeria, May 1 -- In the mangrove-fringed creeks and bustling markets of the Niger Delta, the scent of crude oil has long defined daily life. For decades, the region's nine states - Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo, Rivers, and Abia - have powered Nigeria's economy through vast hydrocarbon reserves. Yet for many residents, that black gold has delivered more curses than blessings: environmental degradation from oil spills, youth unemployment fuelling unrest, and a sense of abandonment amid federal wealth that rarely trickles down.

Families in fishing villages watched their waters turn toxic; young graduates in Port Harcourt scanned job boards dominated by oil multinationals, only to face cycles of militancy and amnes...