Nigeria considers protection fees for pipelines

The Nigerian government says it's considering paying local communities in the south of the country to protect the oil pipelines that run through their villages.

The idea was mooted by the information minister, Jerry Gana, following a series of blasts in which several hundred people have been killed. The minister said communities from the oil-producing areas should be encouraged to guard the pipelines, even if this involved paying them a fee. The authorities blame the recent explosions on the illegal activities of corrupt officials in the fuel companies, while the companies complain that local villages tap into the pipelines to siphon off fuel or crude oil.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service