Due to the wealth of its oil-rich land, the Niger Delta region has been a highly unstable area for over 20 years. This situation has had a serious negative impact on the security of its people and the oil industry in Nigeria. In 2009, the Federal Government of Nigeria decided to issue an amnesty and implement a disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) programme for militant armed groups in the Niger Delta with the goal of restoring peace in that part of the country.