Examining the Claims of Natural Resources Rights by the Niger Delta peoples of Nigeria
Keywords:
natural resources, ownership, indigenous peoples, Niger DeltaAbstract
Under the Nigerian federation, the mineral resources hosting communities of the Niger-delta region of Nigeria have made concerted claims on mineral resources situated in their land territory based on their attachment with their ancestral land. A lot of heated debates have trailed these claims among academics as well as political writers and commentators. While proponents of state ownership, control and management of natural resources rely on the well acceptable principle of state sovereignty, local peoples and communities where natural resources are exploited and their sympathizers based their claim of rights over these resources from the provisions of some international and regional human rights instruments. This work therefore is an attempt to x-ray these varying contentions from the stand point of sovereignty of states and international human rights legal instruments. This paper opined that the exercise of sovereignty by states does not preclude her obligation to accord resource rights to her subnational or indigenous peoples. It calls for legal and policy reforms by the Nigerian government aimed at protecting the rights of indigenous peoples of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria over their natural resources.
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Adetunberu, O. and Bello, A. (2019). Agitations in the Niger Delta Region, Oil Politics and the Clamours for Restructuring in Nigeria, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331994207_(Accessed March 11, 2020)
Dunin, A. (2011) Battling the 'Resource Curse' in the Niger Delta. https://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/battling-resource-curse-niger-delta(Accessed March 11, 2020)
Izah S. C. ‘Ecosystem of the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria: Potentials and Threats’, 2(4) Biodiversity Int. J. 338-345 (2018);
Akujuru, V. A. and Ruddock, L. ‘Incorporation of Socio-Cultural Values in Damage Assessment Valuations of Contaminated Lands in the Niger Delta’, 3(3): 675-692(2014); https://doi.org/10.3390/land3030675 (accessed 20/04/2020).
Amah E. I. ‘An Appraisal of the Rights of the Niger-Delta Peoples over Natural Resources under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights’, 11(2) NAUJILJ, 85 (2020).
Attah V. (2015) “Understanding Resource Control”, being an address presented at lecture organized by the Northern Youths Consultative Forum, in Kaduna, https://dawodu.com/attah1.htm(visited (Accessed March 11,2020 ).
Shebbs, E.U. and Njoku, R. ‘Resource Control in Nigeria- Issues of Politics, Conflict and Legality as Challenge to Development of the Niger Delta Region’, 3(3) Journal of Good Governance and Sustainable Development in Africa (JGGSDA) 78 (2016).
Umozurike, U.O. The African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, (Hague: Martimus Nijhoff Publishers, 1997)
Pereira, R. and Gough, O. ‘Permanent Sovereignty over Natural Resources in the 21st Century: Natural Resource Governance and the Right to Self-Determination of Indigenous Peoples under International Law’, 1(14) Melbourne Journal of International Law 460 (2013).
Chowdhury, S. R. ‘Permanent Sovereignty over Natural Resources’, in Hossain, K. and Chowdhury, S. R. (eds.), Permanent Sovereignty over Natural Resources in International Law: Principle and Practice, (Frances Pinter, 1984), 1, 7–8.
I. Brownlie, I. Principles of Public International Law. (London: Oxford University Press, 7th ed, 2008) 29.
Omorogbe, Y. and Oniemola, P. ‘Property Rights in Oil and Gas under Domanial Regimes’, in Aileen McHarg et. al. (eds.) Property and the Law in Energy and Natural Resources, (London: Oxford University Press, 2010)
Ingulstad, M. and Lixinski, L. ‘Raw Materials, Race, and Legal Regimes: The Development of the Principle of Permanent Sovereignty over Natural Resources in the Americas’, 29(1) World History Bulletin, 34 (2013).
Pereira, R. ‘The Exploration and Exploitation of Energy Resources in International Law’, in Makuch K. E. and Pereira, R. (eds.) Environmental and Energy Law, (Blackwell, 2012)
Umezurike, U.O. ‘The African Charter and National Laws: the Issue of Supremacy’, in Current Themes in the Domestication of Human Rights Norms, (Enugu: Fourth Dimension Publishing Co. Ltd. 2003)
Schrijver, N. J. Sovereignty over Natural Resources: Balancing Rights and Duties, (London: Cambridge University Press, 1997)
Lee L. F. ‘Sovereignty Over, Ownership of and Access to Natural Resources’, in Tarlock, A.D. and Dernbach, J. C. (eds.) (2009). Environmental Laws and their Enforcement” vol. 2. Online: http://www.eolss.net/Eolss-sample.aspx (Accessed August 27, 2016)
Hofbauer, J. A. ‘The Principle of Permanent Sovereignty over Natural Resources and its Modern implications’, (LLM Thesis, Faculty of Law, University of Iceland., 2009), 40-60, available online at https://www.skemman.is>jane_Hofbauer, (accessed April 20, 2020)
Ronne, A. ‘Public and Private Rights to Natural Resources and Differences in their Protection?’ in A. McHarg et al (eds.) Property and the Law in Energy and Natural Resources, (Oxford University Press, 2010) 60, 68–9;
Hernandez, L. B. ‘Sovereignty over Natural Resources under Examination: The Inter-American System for Human Rights and National Resources Allocation’, 12 Annual Surveys of International Law and Comparative Law, 43 (2006).
Aukerman, M. J. ‘Definitions and Justifications: Minority and Indigenous Rights in a Central/East European Context’, 22(4) Human Rights Quarterly, 22-23 (2000)
Chiriboga, O. R. ‘The Right to Cultural Identity of Indigenous Peoples and National Minorities: a Look from the Inter-American System’, 3(5) Sur, Rev. int. direitos human. São Paulo, 60 (2006).
Kugelmann, D. (2007). The Protection of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples Respecting Cultural Diversities. https://www.mpil.de/files/pdf1/mpunyb_06_kugelmann_11.pdf(Accessed April 16, 2020).
Omenma J. T. et. al. (eds.) ‘Indigenous People and Access to Land in Africa: The Shonga People of Kwara State, Nigeria’, 12(1) Ikenga International Journal of Institute of African Studies, UNN, (2006) available at www.unn.edu.ng/publications//files/11893_indigenous people_and_access_to... (Accessed January 25, 2020).
Eide and Daes, ‘Working Paper on the Relationship and Distinction between the Rights of Persons Belonging to Minorities and those of Indigenous Peoples’, UN Doc. E/CN. 4/Sub.2/2000/10 2000;
Kingsbury, B. ‘Indigenous Peoples in International Law: A Constructivist Approach to the Asian Controversy’, 92 AJIL 414 (1998).
Kipuri, N. ‘The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples the African Context’ in Charters, C. and Stavenhagen R. (eds.) Making the Declaration Work: The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (IWGIA, 2009)
Jeremie, G. Indigenous Peoples Human Rights in Africa: The Pragmatic Revolution of the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights, (UK, Cambridge University Press 2011).
Published
2021-08-31
How to Cite
Amah, E. I., & Umobong, M. (2021). Examining the Claims of Natural Resources Rights by the Niger Delta peoples of Nigeria: Array. Acta Universitatis Danubius. Juridica, 17(2). Retrieved from https://dj.univ-danubius.ro/index.php/AUDJ/article/view/1329
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