THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT AS AN INSTRUMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION IN NIGERIA'S OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY

Abstract

This research aimed at examining the effectiveness of environmental impact assessment as an instrument of environmental protection in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry. It is beyond doubt that the environment is important to mankind and functions as a veritable resource. Thus, there is need for environmental impact assessment to ensure the survival of living organisms like plants, animals and so on. It is the objectives of this research among others, to examine the history or evolution of environment impact assessment in Nigeria with a view to exposing what the situation was before the enactment of the EIA Act, the rationale for the adoption of environmental impact assessment in Nigeria and the environmental impact assessment policy in selected jurisdictions. Among others, the research found that the basic challenge confronting the Federal Ministry of Environment in Nigeria is how to translate the laudable provisions of the Environmental Impact Assessment Act into an effective tool for managing or protecting the environment. Experience especially in respect of infrastructural projects shows that environmental impact assessment is hardly undertaken prior to the approval of any project and the key defaulters of environmental impact assessment are the various levels of government; Federal, State and Local governments as these levels of government routinely approve projects within the mandatory study list, before any kind of environmental impact assessment is made. Thus, the research recommended that the Federal Ministry of Environment in Nigeria should ensure that projects are subject to environmental impact assessment in strict accordance with the spirit of the Environmental Impact Assessment Act so that the Act will not end up a paper tiger, the various levels of government should ensure that environmental impact assessment is carried out before approving projects within the mandatory study list, the already existing companies should undergo periodic environmental audits to ensure their compliance with environmentally sound practices and so on. The research concluded that both the government and multinational companies should comply with the provisions of the Environmental Impact Assessment Act of Nigeria and international standards on environmental impact assessment.