“Agriculture is our main priority” was a quote from Prof. EC Edozien, an economist who was President Shagari's principal advisor (Gupte 1981). The dishonesty of this statement later became evident because the Shagari government alone was responsible for the disappearance of many billions of dollars in bribes and foreign currency deposited in international banks (Haller 2007, 65). Other worrying comments were made by economists who said that the Nigerian government's ambitious plan would require oil extraction to be carried out as quickly as possible and in the greatest quantity possible, which is confirmed by statements from government officials highlighting the need to expand the economy before there was an oil shortage (as cited by Gupte 1981). Many social issues have emerged from the political and economic conditions discussed. Indigenous peoples of the Niger Delta have experienced marginalization, violence, and poverty because historical circumstances have reduced the amount of control they have over their resources. The indigenous people of the Niger Delta lost a considerable amount of control at independence, when the whole of Nigeria was considered government property, including the oil (Manby 1999, 3). Since colonial times, dating back to the Enlightenment, indigenous methods have been considered backward and inefficient. This vision transcended colonialism and continued to exist in independent Nigeria. Indigenous people, particularly small ethnic minority groups such as 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… of paper… is up to the oil companies and in most cases immediate gains have taken precedence over long term costs. The Nigerian state is responsible for the indirect elements that led to oil pollution, such as: the permission for Shell and other oil companies to operate without any environmental restrictions, the choice to base the economy on oil, the increase in pressure on industry, violence and corruption this angered the natives and led to retaliation. Many state issues originated during the days of colonialism, but were carried forward by a political elite who craved the immediate financial gains and development opportunities that benefited them and the projects they supported, but not those living on the land where the oil came from. and those who have directly suffered most of the consequences of oil production and pollution.