This study examined the effects of oil spillage on the socio-economic activities of the people and the environment in some communities in the Niger delta. The objectives are to determine the quantity of oil spilled from pipelines, the area of coverage and to assess the effects of oil spillage on the people, soil and water. Data were collected from both primary and secondary sources. The primary data relied on the administration of structured questionnaires; 319 questionnaires were randomly distributed to a sample population (household heads), with 302 retrieved. Secondary data were sourced from published materials. Also, soil samples from four locations and water samples from five locations were collected to determine the pH value of the water, the presence and concentration of heavy metals in the soil and the total hydrocarbon content (THC) of water. Soil and water samples were analysed using the atomic absorption spectrophotometer and gravimetric methods for soil and water, respectively. There was a strong relationship between the volume of oil spilled and the area coverage. Laboratory soil analysis from sampled communities showed a higher concentration of heavy metals (chromium, lead, arsenic, etc.) above the World Health Organization (WHO) permissible levels as well as the figure for controlled site. Similarly, three of the communities studied had THC concentrations of 40,000 ppm exceeding both WHO limit of 1 ppm and controlled site. This has grave implications on the soil, water and socio-economic activities of the people. It is, therefore, important that environmental laws should be strictly adhered to. Compensation should be adequately and promptly paid to the communities, and remedial action should be speedily undertaken whenever there are spills. Finally, the oil companies must involve the communities in the maintenance and monitoring of pipelines with the ultimate goal of improving the quality of life of members of rural communities.

Road traffic accidents are a major health problem in Nigeria. Death and injuries resulting from road crashes in the country have been on the increase over the years. For instance, fatality rate rose from 5.3 in 1970 to 5.8 in 2005. The purpose of the paper is to assess the pattern and socio-economic burden of road crashes on road accident victims in south-western Nigeria. The study relied on the administration of 438 questionnaires to road accident victims in both public and private hospitals in south-western Nigeria. The data were presented using descriptive statistics. Findings indicated that more than 70% of the accident victims were within the productive age group of between 15–45 years, with over 60% of them living below the poverty line. Motorcycles and buses accounted for 70% of the vehicles while about 40% of the victims were pedestrians. Each victim on average spent a minimum of US$17 per day on medical expenses and had at least one person attached to him/her throughout the period of admission. This has grave implications on the welfare of the families and the socio-economic development of the country. The paper calls for the use of preventive methods and post-crash management initiatives in order to reduce the magnitude and burden of road crashes on members of the society in south-western Nigeria.

In South Africa, the means of livelihood of informal public transport (IPT) operators are compromised because of harassment and intimidation from police and other state actors in the transport industry. This study sought to examine the impact of police harassment on the well-being of transport operators in Durban. Data for this study were gathered through interviews conducted with metro police officers, taxi owners, rank managers, rank marshals, traffic officers, and transport committee stakeholders in Durban, South Africa. In all, twenty-two interviewees were sampled. The study revealed that both the police and the IPT experience harassment. Harassment by state actors against IPT is evidenced in the abuse of power, demand for a bribe, use of insolent words, and wrong and unjustified legal issuance of traffic fines/tickets. Study evidence from Durban suggested that risky or unconventional traffic behaviour among the IPT operators was related to harassment experiences from the police at the workplace. This is argued to have contributed to negative workplace and home psychological behaviours among IPT operators in Durban. The study contributes to the limited knowledge on Informal Public Transport Operators’ Well-being and Harassment Experiences in Durban, South Africa. Most importantly theoretical understanding of well-being and how individuals, such as the police, contribute to the well-being of IPT.

Land surface temperature (LST) is an indispensable factor in studying urban climate. Ground-based measurements have been employed to quantify LST and Land Use/Land Cover Change (LULC). However, due to advancements in space technology and extensive spatial coverage, remote sensing techniques are increasingly being used to measure the intensity of LST and LULC dynamics, owing to the availability of enhanced satellite-based thermal observations of the Earth. The climatic conditions over a medium-sized city could be improved by understanding the interplay of LST and LULC. In this study, we estimated LST based on Landsat bands 4 and 5 for 1990 and 2000, band 6 for 2010, and band 10 for 2021 to reveal the interplay between the characteristics of land use and land cover and LST over Inisa and adjoining settlements. The study revealed that the maximum and minimum LST from 1990 to 2021 was 30.2°C for built-up areas and 21.1°C for farmland, respectively. Built-up areas increased from 2.5% in 1990 to 15.43% in 2021. Remotely sensed data can reveal the variability of LST and LULC to assess the climatic phenomenon. They can inform future planning to secure green and livable urban areas in this era of a changing climate.