HUMAN RIGHTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION IN NIGERIA: BRIDGING THE LEGAL GAPS

The right to life is guaranteed constitutionally as a fundamental human right and the environment consist of air, water, land, forest and wildlife upon which man’s life is dependent on. The activities of the oil and gas industries have been identified as the major source of pollution to the Nigerian environment which has indeed given rise to gross violation of the right to life. The Nigerian Constitution expressly prohibits over exploitation of human or natural resources in any form whatsoever as a fundamental objective and directive principles of the state policy but stipulated as a fundamental right the responsibility of the state to protect and improve the environment as well as safeguard the water, air, land, forest and wildlife of Nigeria. This paper also appraised continuous violation and pollution of environment in respect to human life. It also viewed the inadequate sanction and lack of compliance of existing laws as touching pollution occasioned by activities of oil and gas industries in Nigeria. This paper recommends total review of sanction mechanism as to include capital punishment and strengthening of the environmental protection institutions.