IOSR Journal Of Humanities And Social Science (IOSR-JHSS) Volume 15, Issue 6 (Sep. - Oct. 2013), PP 96-100 e-ISSN: 2279-0837, p-ISSN: 2279-0845. www.Iosrjournals.Org www.iosrjournals.org 96 | Page Militancy and the Dilemma of Sustainable Development: A Case of Niger Delta in Nigeria. Oluwaleye Janet Monisola, Department Of Political Science, Ekiti State University,Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria. Abstract: Nigeria is ranked sixth in the world as the largest crude oil and gas producer. It has a history of well over 50 years of oil and gas exploration and exploitation, but for many of the area’s inhabitants, this discovery has brought a curse rather than blessing to the Niger Delta region, which contributes about 80% of the nation’s wealth .In the past half a century, the area had been left devastated by unprecedented environmental degradation occasioned by oil activities. This dire situation has led to local unrest, spearheaded by the likes of Isaac Adaka Boro and Ken Saro -Wiwa in the late 1960s and 1990s, respectively, who campaigned vigorously, albeit peacefully, for a better deal for the region. This movement eventually deteriorated into armed struggle, obstructing the national economic and social developments.The paper discusses the dilemma of the militancy in the Niger Delta on sustainable development of Nigeria. It also proffers strategies for achieving sustainable development. The study utilizes the secondary data collection that was generated from journals, magazines, official publications, and the Internet. Findings are descriptively analyzed. The central argument is that militancy in the Niger Delta affects sustainable development in Nigeria. I. Introduction Oil has become a dominant element within the power capability profile of any nation. In spite of the huge funds accruing from the oil and gas sector of the Nigerian economy, the Nigerian state has not been able to meet up with the expectations of the citizenry. The Niger Delta region of Nigeria, reputed to be one of the most richly endowed deltas in the world, contributes about 8o per cent of Nigeria`s national wealth.“Whereas the oil produced in the Niger delta is the life blood of the Nigerian economy, oil has failed to translate to regional prosperity and development in the Niger delta” (Kimiebi, 2010). Instead, the region has been rewarded with massive environmental degradation and political and economic marginalization. Despite the abundant oil wealth, there has been unimaginable mass poverty and negligible development in the region. The violent repression of peaceful dissent exemplified by Ken Saro – Wiwa and the Ogoni eight saga, has been the preferred method of the federal government in addressing agitations from the Niger delta over the years. This created an environment of anger, desperation and violence. Years of political and economic marginalization, environmental degradation, bad governance and policy inconsistency by the government, and the divide and rule policy of the oil companies led to emergence of militancy in the Niger delta in theearly2006.(Nwogwugwu,2012:1;Abraham,2011:4). Efforts by the federal government and oil companies to improve the quality of human lives and to provide infrastructural development, have been insufficient to ameliorate the problems. This paper examines the underlying factors responsible for the state of peacelessness in the Niger Delta; the effects or fall outs of the crisis; what should be done to arrest the crisis from degenerating and the way forward for the permanent resolution of the crisis that will bring about peace and sustainable development to the Region. Frustration-Aggression Theory The frustration-aggression theory is associated with works of John Dollard et al (1939), the core assumption of which is that “aggression is always a consequence of frustration”(in Amaraegbu,2011). The authors argued that individuals are motivated to achieve life ambitions and fulfill destiny, but when these expectations are thwarted, frustration sets in. According to Afinotan and Agagu(in Agagu ed,2008),when there is a gap between the level of value expectation and the level of value attainment, due to lack of capability to establish a congruence between both levels ,tension builds up to the pressure of an unfulfilled aspiration or an unsatisfied urge or need. This when not arrested on time leads to frustration .Frustration when it builds up ,leads to the rising up of suppressed emotion of anger which is often directed against the party considered to be the source of deprivation of satisfaction. This strong emotion finally finds an outlet through aggression and violent disposition towards the environment.(ibid.) The armed insurrection against military and civilian targets in the Niger Delta by militant youths, directed against government and foreign oil companies could be viewed from this perspective. By the way, it is important to note that the existence of frustration does not always lead to