NJIKO: A Multi-Disciplinary Journal of Humanities, Law, Education and Social Sciences

This article employed Essencism, which is a philosophical framework pioneered by Samuel Asuquo Ekanem (2005), diagnosed the existential and ecological crisis in Nigeria’s Niger Delta, which is an oil-rich but environmentally ravaged region. By exploring the ideological underpinnings of oil extraction, technological enframing, and environmental injustice through an essencist lens, this paper advanced a prescription centered on ontological realignment, technological poiesis, and environmental justice enshrined in metaphysical recognition. It asserts that genuine sustainable development requires reclaiming humans’ spiritual–physical essence, harmonizing technology with nature, and embedding indigenous and customary wisdom in policy and praxis. The paper concludes with actionable philosophical prescriptions that include legal pluralism, community-based energy sovereignty, and essencist education to catalyze ecological restoration and human flourishing.

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