Review Article

Petroleum Industry-Derived Obesogens in Nigeria’s Niger Delta Region: Mechanistic Insights, Clinical Impacts, and Public Health Implications

Abstract

The Niger Delta region of Nigeria represents one of the most ecologically degraded industrialized zones globally, characterized by over six decades of intensive crude oil extraction, gas flaring, and systemic oil spills. While the conventional paradigm of environmental toxicity in this region focuses heavily on onco-genesis, mutagenicity, and respiratory pathologies, an emerging frontier in environmental medicine im-plicates local pollutants as potent “obesogens.” These environmental obesogens are xenobiotic compounds that disrupt lipid metabolism, adipogenesis, and metabolic homeostasis, thereby promoting obesity and metabolic syndrome independent of caloric intake or physical exertion. This review article comprehensively elucidates the molecular, cellular, and systemic patho-mechanisms by which petroleum and natural gas industry contaminants—specifically Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) like benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX), and heavy metals—induce obesogenic states within the resident population of the Niger Delta. We dissect the specific disruptions of nuclear re-ceptor signaling, including Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptor gamma and Retinoid X Receptor, the induction of chronic low-grade systemic inflammation, epigenetic modifications, and the profound alteration of the gut microbiome. Furthermore, this paper analyzes the specific exposure pathways unique to the Niger Delta, such as the consumption of hydrocarbon-contaminated seafood, artisanal refining ac-tivities, and the inhalation of gas flaring particulate matter. By mapping these molecular cascades, this review provides a strong mechanistic link between oil-industrial ecotoxicity and the rising burden of noncommunicable metabolic diseases in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, providing a critical framework for environmental health policy and targeted therapeutic interventions.

Authors affiliation:

Collins Amadi (ORCID): Department of Chemical Pathology, Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
Ihundah Nmehielle-Oluwadare (ORCID): Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
Roy Chidi Amadi (ORCID): Department of Laboratory Services, MEDCOL Nigeria Limited, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
Sasha Chidera Amadi (ORCID): Basic Health Sciences, Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
Elena Chile Amadi (ORCID): Basic Health Sciences, Excellent Montessori College, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
Comfort John (ORCID): Department of Management, Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

How To Cite: C. Amadi, I. Nmehielle-Oluwadare, R.C. Amadi, S.C. Amadi, E.C. Amadi, C. John. Petroleum Industry-Derived Obesogens in Nigeria’s Niger Delta Region: Mechanistic Insights, Clinical Impacts, and Public Health Implications. Journal of Applied Health Sciences and Medicine, 6(9):39–52, 2026. https://doi.org/10.58614/jahsm698