Resources > Trouble in Agudama-Epie
Trouble in Agudama-Epie
Oluwaseun Ajaja, Michelle LeBaron, Mariam Omotosho & Stanley Omotor
This case centers around Ochuko, a young Nigerian rising star in the oil sector with expertise in oil prospecting, extracting, and refining. Ochuko returned home to participate in the growth of his country’s oil and gas industry. When he arrived, he encountered many complexities including espionage, covert state players, corruption, and exploitation of local communities. He began to wonder whether his employer was a front for a foreign entity with a stranglehold on the Nigerian oil sector regulators. This case reveals the complexities of modern hybrid warfare in the context of a semi-autocratic state where there is little accountability for government policies and actions. Players with competing interests and links to shell companies and corruption vie for control over resources. Armed conflict is endemic in this high-tension atmosphere, pointing to the ways that apparently useful international collaboration and cooperation can result in terrible consequences for local industries and populations. The consequences of seeking or exposing truths that are not aligned with powerful narratives can be dire.
Additional teaching notes and materials available on Mitchell Hamline Open Access.