Exploring Barriers to Environmental Law Enforcement and Compliance in Nigeria Niger Delta Region
Keywords:
compliance; environmental law enforcement; barriers; Niger Delta; NigeriaAbstract
The important role of environmental enforcement in ensuring compliance with a country’s environmental policy cannot be over emphasised. The belief in many quarters that sustainable development is achievable, owes much to a country’s ability to enforce stringently its environmental laws. While Nigeria has several environmental laws regulating the activities of oil multinationals in the Niger Delta Region, there is widespread non-compliance with these laws. This paper looks at the various barriers mitigating against an effective environmental enforcement programme in the Niger Delta Region. It employs both secondary and primary sources in collecting data which were qualitatively analysed. Our findings shows that among other factors, corruption institutional inadequacy, legal loopholes, oil reliance, and lack of community awareness and participation are serious impediments to effective enforcement and compliance programme. The paper therefore recommends that government should make effort to address these barriers to ensure compliance with the law.
References
Abdulkadir, B.A. (2014). The Right to a Healthful Environment in Nigeria: A Review of Alternative Pathways to Environmental Justice in Nigeria, Afe Babalola University Journal of Sustainable Development Law and Policy, 3 (1), pp. 100-118
Achebe, C.H., Nneke, U.C. and Anisiji, O.E (2012) Analysis of Oil Pipeline Failures in the Oil and Gas Industries in the Niger Delta Area of Nigeria, 2nd International Multi-Conference of Engineers and Computer Scientists 1, 5
Adegoroye, A. (1993). The challenges of environmental enforcement in Africa: the Nigeria experience. Proceedings of the third international conference on environmental enforcement. Retrieved from https://www.inece.org/3rdvoll/pdf/adegoro/pdf
Akinpelu, Y. (2021). ANALYSIS: 77% of oil spills in Nigeria occurred in only three states. Premium times, May 15. Retrieved from, https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/461635-analysis-77-of-oil-spills-in-nigeria-occurred-in-only-three-states.html
Ako, A. Stewart, N and Ekhator, E.O (2016). Overcoming the (non) justiciable Conundrum: The Interpretation of the Right to a Healthy Environment in Nigeria’ In A. Diver & J Miller (eds) Justifiability of Human Rights in Domestic Jurisdictions (Springer, pp. 123-138
Atsegbua, L.A., Akpotaire, V., and Dimowo, F. (2004). Environmental Law in Nigeria: Theory and Practice, Lagos, Ababa Press, pp. 37
Brown C.T. (2021). Improving compliance and enforcement of environmental regulation of the petroleum sector in Nigeria: the role of institutionalism. An unpublished thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the University of the West of England, Bristol for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Faculty of Business and Law University of the West of England, Bristol
Bueren, E. v. (2019). Environmental policy. Retrieved from, https://www.britannica.com/contributor/Ellen-van-Bueren/9527648
Cletus, O.A. (2020). Politics of Oil Block Allocation and the Nigerian Economy. Journal of Forensic Accounting and Fraud Investigation, 5(1), pp. 221, 224
Ebeku, K. S. A., (2003), Judicial Attitudes to Redress for Oil-Related Environmental Damage in Nigeria, Review of European Community and International Environmental Law, Vol.12, pp.199-208
Eneh, O.C., (2011). Managing Nigeria's environment: The unresolved issues. Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 4(3), pp.250-263.
International Network for Environmental Compliance and Enforcement, (2009) Principles of Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Handbook 1 at 104, Retrieved from http://inece.org/principles/PrinciplesHandbook_23sept09.pdf
Iwuoha, V.C. (2021). Rethinking the patron-client politics of oil block allocation, development and remittances in Nigeria. Review of African political economy, Vol. 48, pp. 552-580
Jike, V.T. (2004). Environmental degradation, social disequilibrium and the dilemma of sustainable development in the Niger delta of Nigeria. Journal of Black Studies, 34 (5), Pp. 686-701
Kadafa, A.A. (2012). 'Oil Exploration and Spillage in the Niger Delta of Nigeria' Civil and Environmental Research, 2(3), pp. 38, 41
Laden, M. T. (2012). Review of NESREA Act 2007 and regulations 2009-2011: a new dawn in environmental compliance and enforcement in Nigeria. Law, Environment and Development journal, 8 (1), pp. 116-141
Nabegu, N. A. and Mustapha A. (2017). Environmental regulations in Nigeria: a MINI review. International Journal of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resources, Vol. 1, Issue 5, pp. 142-144
Newell, P. (2003). Corporate accountability for development: two cases from India, A Draft Paper for the Development Research Center on Citizenship, Participation and Accountability, IDS, University of Sussex, Brighton
Nielsen, V. L. and Parker, C. (2012). Mixed Motives: Economic, Social, and Normative Motivations in Business Compliance, Law & Policy, 34 (4), pp. 428- 462
Noah, A. (2021). Corporate environmental accountability in Nigeria: An example of regulatory failure and regulatory capture. Journal of Accounting in Emerging Economies, 5
Obanijesu, E.O. et al, (2009), 'Air-borne SO2 Pollution Monitoring in the Upstream Petroleum Operation Areas of Niger-Delta, Nigeria, Energy Sources, 31(3) Part A, pp. 223-231
Okonmah, O.P. (1997). Right to a Clean Environment: The Case for the People of Oil-Producing Communities in the Nigerian Delta' (1997) Journal of African Law, 41(1), pp. 43, 47
Okoye, A. (2020). 'Tax-deductible Flare Gas Penalty Payments in Nigeria: Context, Responsibilities and Judicial Interpretation. Journal of Energy & Natural Resources Law 39 (3), pp. 1-21
Okpan, S and Njoku, P. (2019). Evaluation of Corruption and Conflict in Nigerian Oil Industry: Imperative for Sustainable Development, Journal of Sociology and Anthropology Research, 5(4) pp. 198
Olujobi, O.J., Oyewunmi, O.A, and Oyewunmi, A.E. (2018). Oil Spillage in Nigeria’s Upstream Petroleum Sector: Beyond the Legal Frameworks, International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, 8(1) pp. 220, 222
Omorogbe, Y. (2001). Oil and gas law in Nigeria, Lagos: Malthouse Press Limited
Onwuazombe, F. (2017). Human rights abuse and violations in Nigeria: a case study of the oil-producing communities in the Niger Delta Region, Annual Survey of International & Comparative Law, 22 (1), pp. 115-
Oshionebo, E. (2007). Transnational Corporation, civil society and social responsibility in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, 15 AFR. J. INT’L & COMP. L. 107-129
Peterson, K and Diss-Torrance, A. (2012). Motivation for compliance with environmental regulations related to forest health, Journal of Environmental Management, 112, pp. 104-119
Salihu A.C. et al, (2016). Analysis of the Factors Affecting Facilities Compliance to Environmental Regulations in Minna–Niger State, Nigeria, World Scientific News, 45(2) pp. 174-182
Stigler G. J. (1971). The Theory of Economic Regulation, Bell Journal of Economics and Management Science, 2: 3–21
Terada, C. (2012). Recycling Electronic Wastes in Nigeria: Putting Environmental and Human Rights at Risk. Journal of International Human Rights, 10(3), pp. 154, 169
The Nation Newspaper, Thursday, June 19, 2008. Pp. 1-2
Transparency International, (2005). Transparency International country study report: Nigeria Retrieved from https://www.transparency.org/news/feature/transparency_international_2004_annual_report
UNEP Report on Environmental Assessment of Ogoniland, (2012). Retrieved from, http://postconflict.unep.ch/publications/OEA
Usman, S.O., (2011). The opacity and conduit of corruption in the Nigeria oil sector: beyond the rhetoric of the anti-corruption crusade' (2011) 13(2) Journal of Sustainable Development in Africa, pp. 294, 296.
Uwakwe, F and Aloh, J.N. (2020). The Role of the principles of public participation in petroleum development contracts in developing countries. International Journal of Comparative Lgaw and Legal Philosophy, 2(3), pp. 81, 85.
Wasserman CE. (1992). Principles of environmental enforcement. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Watts, M and Zalik, A. (2020). Consistently unreliable: oil spill data and transparency discourse. The extractive industries and society 7(3)
Winter, S., & May, P. (2001), Motivation for compliance with environmental regulations. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 20(4), 675-698
World Bank Group (1995). Nigeria: Defining an Environmental Development Strategy for the Niger Delta, In Industry and Energy Operations Division West Central Africa Department, Vol. 2 147, 45. Retrieved from, http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/506921468098056629/Annexes
Zhao, X and Qi, Y, (2020). Why do firms obey? The state of regulatory compliance research in China. Journal of Chinese Political Science, 25(2) pp. 339, 352
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2022 Zephaniah Edo, Laz Etemike, Victor E. Clark
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
The author fully assumes the content originality and the holograph signature makes him responsible in case of trial.
