QUALITY OF LIFE OF RESIDENTS IN GAS FLARING COMMUNITY IN AKWA IBOM STATE, NIGER DELTA REGION, NIGERIA

Gas flaring remains a persistent environmental and public health issue in Nigeria’s Niger Delta, particularly in Akwa Ibom State, where crude oil extraction is widespread. This research compares the quality of life (QoL) of residents of a gas flaring community (Mkpanak) and a non-gas flaring community (Okposo) in the Niger Delta region of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. A cross-sectional, comparative survey was conducted. Multistage sampling was used to sample 389 respondents. The analysis was conducted using the four components of QoL: subjective wellbeing, objective wellbeing, psychological wellbeing and environmental quality. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics and comparative analysis. The results showed that many residents of Mkpanak indicated low environmental quality (86.7%), low objective wellbeing (29.1%) and low psychological wellbeing (13.3%). Comparatively, Okposo residents reported better environmental quality (61.7%), objective wellbeing (15.5%) and psychological wellbeing (6.7%). However, subjective wellbeing in Mkpanak (46.9%) was marginally better than in Okposo (43.0%), the difference in subjective wellbeing warrants further investigation into factors that may influence residents’ perceptions of quality of life. In conclusion the research highlights the negative impacts of gas flaring on various dimensions of wellbeing. It recommends policy action to implement environmental laws, enhance social infrastructure, and address health and livelihood needs. The study adds to the conversation on environmental justice and sustainable development in the extractive industry.