ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS AND PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATION IN NIGERIA: ENSURING ACCOUNTABILITY AND REMEDIES FOR HOST COMMUNITIES

Abstract

This paper examined environmental rights and public interest litigation in Nigeria with a focus on ensuring accountability and effective remedies for host communities affected by environmental degradation. The paper was premised on the persistent pollution, weak enforcement of environmental laws, and limited access to justice in oil-producing regions. Employing a doctrinal research method, it analysed constitutional provisions, statutes, and judicial decisions. The paper found that although environmental rights had been judicially recognized, significant challenges persisted, including restrictive locus standi, procedural delays, weak institutional enforcement, and inadequate compensation mechanisms. It further revealed that public interest litigation had increasingly served as a vital tool for advancing environmental justice and corporate accountability. The paper concluded that while progress had been made, enforcement gaps undermined effective protection. It recommended amongst others, the constitutional entrenchment of environmental rights, liberalization of standing rules, strengthening of regulatory institutions, and improved access to remedies for affected communities.