Environmental justice in Nigeria: Divergent tales, paradoxes and future prospects

The oil rich Niger Delta exemplifies circumstances wherein the proper conceptualization, understanding and pursuit of environmental justice determine the outcomes of natural resource exploitation. For about half a century, multinationals have, in joint ventures with the Federal Government of Nigeria, exploited oil from the Niger Delta, deriving huge revenues for both parties. There is a plethora of laws regulating the oil industry in Nigeria. In recognition of the multiple negative impacts the oil industry has on the host communities and the need for a more equitable distribution of the positive benefits, the Federal Government created the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). It is imperative that environmental justice considerations become integral to governance in Nigeria, especially if its oil industry is to survive. Cuts to oil production occasioned by restive host communities, as is currently being experienced, amidst dwindling oil prices, do not augur well for the national economy.