The Effect of Unplanned Exploitation of Environmental Resources: The Nigeria’s Experience

Abstract

Environmental sustainability requires constant and regular observation of on-going activities within the environment, and maintaining it through an enhanced environmental standard, using existing laws. The study observed that the development of agriculture and modern technology has led to an increasing human impact on environmental resources, without adequate correlation towards the after effect on future generation in Nigeria. Unplanned exploitation of environmental resources has caused a lot of havoc to man and his environment in one hand and cost government huge income on the other hand. It had been observe that weak legislations and lack of political will has among other things place Nigeria as the highest flare of gas. Air pollution, dumping of waste, pollution of water etc. are some of the result of an unplanned exploitation of environmental resources. Unplanned exploitation of resources is anti-society, hence the need to honour all international treaties on environment. The government and her agencies, should beyond the immediate gains, focus more on the interest of the nation and unborn generation based on sustainable development, which is planned exploitation of exploitable environmental resources. The nation, it was observed is seating on keg of gunpowder if resources exploitation is not checked and very fast. The indiscriminate dredging of sand in all nook and crannies of fragile south –south will cause a great catastrophe such as landslide or submergence of communities. The risk of cancer and heart diseases will continue to increase until appropriate legislation on resources exploitation is put in place.