X-Raying the Environmental Impact of Armed Conflict in Nigeria

Abstract

The prevailing armed conflicts in Nigeria particularly in the Niger Delta region and North East have caused massive destruction to human lives and the environment at large. The high-level weapons, bombs and other explosives employed by the Niger Delta Militants, the Boko Haram group and the Nigerian military in counter-terrorism strategies have impacted negatively on farmlands, water-bodies, wildlife and natural forests. The paper examines the history and activities of the armed groups together with the effects of such activities on the Nigerian environment. The paper relies on doctrinal method of research utilizing primary and secondary information. The paper clearly finds that the conflict in the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria is attributed to consistent marginalization and undue neglect of the inhabitants by the Government and the oil companies as major stakeholders in the oil and gas industry. The extant legal frameworks on the protection of the environment during armed conflicts were equally examined, including international, regional and domestic instruments pointing out the lacunas inherent in the laws. The paper therefore, recommends that the Nigerian government should engage the armed groups operating in the North Eastern part of the country in more productive negotiations rather than employing armed attacks which have proven to be counter-productive. Keywords: Environment, impact, Armed conflict, legal framework, Protection, Compensation, Negotiation DOI: 10.7176/JLPG/131-01 Publication date: April 30 th 2023