Spatial and Temporal Analysis of Gasoline Spills in the Niger Delta: A Review of Historical Trends, Drivers, and Impacts

Abstract

Gasoline spills constitute a persistent environmental and public health challenge in the Niger Delta, with Delta, Bayelsa Rivers and Akwa Ibom State, being particularly vulnerable due to its proximity to petroleum infrastructure and expanding fuel distribution activities. This review synthesizes spatial and temporal gasoline spill patterns, identifies key drivers, and evaluates environmental and health impacts. A comprehensive literature search was conducted across Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and government/NGO repositories using predefined search terms (“Gasoline spill” AND “Niger Delta”). Studies were included if they focused on refined product spills, provided spatial/temporal data, or examined drivers/impacts. Quality assessment was performed using a standardized tool. Data from 25 eligible studies were extracted and synthesized qualitatively. A total of 432 gasoline spill incidents were recorded between 2007 and 2022, with a significant increase over the past decade. Delta State accounted for 73.4% of incidents, followed by Rivers (15.1%), Bayelsa (8.3%) and Akwa Ibom (3.2%). Pipeline sabotage (55.6%), equipment failure (21.1%) and human error (12.3%) were the leading causes. Environmental contamination occurred in 85.2% of incidents, while health impacts (respiratory problems, skin irritation) were reported in 42.1%. Hydrogeological conditions (shallow water tables, permeable soils, high rainfall) accelerate contaminant migration, and BTEX exceedances have been documented in groundwater near pipelines and fuel stations. Gasoline spills in the Niger Delta are increasing in frequency and are driven by infrastructure decay, sabotage, hydrogeological vulnerability, and governance gaps. Urgent infrastructure modernization, real time monitoring, community engagement, and stricter policy enforcement are required. By consolidating historical spill trends, causal factors, and impact pathways, this study provides strategic evidence base for policymakers, environmental managers, and researchers to design context-specific strategies that strengthen resilience and reduce gasoline spill occurrence in the Niger Delta.