Environmental Justice In Nigeria: Can The Courts Protect Communities?

Environmental justice begins with a simple proposition: communities should not be left without an effective remedy when environmental harm destroys the conditions on which their lives depend. In Nigeria, this question is particularly important in the Niger Delta.

What does environmental justice mean?

Environmental justice is not simply about punishing polluters. It concerns access to justice, accountability, compensation, remediation and meaningful protection for affected communities.

The courts and oil pollution

Nigerian courts have historically entertained claims arising from oil pollution. In Shell Petroleum Development Company v Isaiah, the Supreme Court considered a dispute involving an oil spill that polluted farmland, streams and fishponds, with the claimants seeking compensation for the resulting damage.