NIGERIA’S ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: IDENTIFYING THE UNADDRESSED SHORTFALLS

Abstract

Human activities are beginning to push the earth`s systems beyond their limits, giving rise to some environmental concerns like climate change, biodiversity loss, ozone layer depletion and acid rain which constitute a real threat to the planet. The United Nations (UN), through its 1972 and 1992 conferences on the Human Environment in Stockholm and Rio respectively, sought universal actions against environmental threats for the sustenance on earth of the present and future generations. The conferences produced two declarations which tasked global community, including Nigeria, to exploit their resources sustainably to guarantee their domestic and universal environmental protection. This paper evaluated Nigeria`s commitment to environmental protection and conservation in response to the UN declarations. The paper relied on existing primary and secondary sources consisting of Nigeria`s major environmental protection governance statutes, including her pivotal Oil Industry Act, 2021. The paper supplemented its primary sources with secondary information drawn from textbooks, scholarly articles, law reports and online resources. Its findings revealed that environmental degradation is, indeed a pressing issue in Nigeria with alarming widespread, ranging from flooding to desertification, air, soil, water pollution and oil pollution of the environment. Lack of political will and commitment from the government, both at the federal and state levels, is a significant contributor to this problem. To address the challenges, the paper proposed a multi-faceted approach, including constitutional amendment and revisions to existing environmental laws and regulations.