Protection of the Nigerian Environment: Legal and Critical Analysis of Laws and Regulations

Abstract

Environmental problems have become one of the most worrisome problems in our time both locally and internationally.
The media is replete with news of tsunamis, hurricanes, droughts, overflowing river banks, flooding, etc around the
globe. These problems often cause so much devastation that they cannot be adequately resolved by individuals. To bridge this gap and in fulfillment of their responsibilities to her citizenry, different nations/countries have enacted laws which protect the
environment from environmental problems such as degradation and pollution. Nigeria is one such country which has enacted a
body of laws geared specifically towards the protection of the environment. However, despite of the availability of these laws
as well as the enforcement agencies, these problems have continued to multiply and persist on a daily basis. This article
will show that these problems persist because of several issues such as: lack of environmental consciousness, inadequate waste
management system, poor enforcement mechanisms, lack of expertise, corruption, inadequate and obsolete penalties for
violation of environmental regulations, inadequate funding, poverty, inadequate manpower, equipment and technical
infrastructural decay, overlapping laws and lack of joint venture partnership to mention but a few. This work therefore submits
that there is an urgent need for training and revamping of our environmental laws. This training is dual in nature; it should
focus on the citizenry on the one hand and the law enforcement agencies on the other hand. The revamping of environmental
laws will also achieve the aim of providing stiffer penalties for infractions of environmental laws which will deter intending
environment polluters. This revamping of the laws must also address the issue of compensation of victims of such violations/infraction as well as the issue of funding of agencies