ENVIRONMENTAL
POLLUTION IN NIGERIA: ISSUES AND SOLUTIONS
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Nigeria, located in West Africa, has a
total land area of 983,213 square kilometres. Presently, its estimated
population is over 150 million people (World Bank Population figures) yielding
an average density of more than120persons per square kilometres. Industrial
activities, in its modern forms, are relatively recent in the history of
Nigeria’s economic development. During the pre-colonial period, Nigeria
featured considerable craft industry as modern factory activity was then not
known. With the advent of the Second World War and its aftermath, the economy of
Nigeria changed tremendously and there were demands from Europe for industrial
raw materials. With time, due to the low technological base, industrial
development took on the assembly-type pattern of import substitution
(Wikipedia, 2015). However, political self determination since 1960 did provide
the opportunity for improving on its import substitution strategy as well as developing
its potentials for real industrial take off through capital goods industry. Prior
to the discovery of crude oil in Oloibiri, Rivers State in 1956,agriculture
(before 1970) was the mainstay of the Nigerian economy. The oil boom witnessed
in the 1970s led to a tremendous increase in industrial activities. With
financial resources available from oil and no development policy, unguided
urbanization and industrialization took place. As desirable and necessary as
this development was, it became an albatross not of itself but because of the
lack of appropriate environmental protection policies to guide it. The result
was the indiscriminate siting of industries, deforestation and desertification,
disregarding the need for environmental concern. The process technology of some
of these industries often resulted in unacceptable levels of toxic and
dangerous industrial wastes and effluent emissions. These culminated in the degradation
of the environment and devastating ecological and human disasters. As a result
of these, the need to combine industrial development and environmental
protection arose. Acts of legislation for environmental protection, known as
environmental laws, were then enacted. However, the researcher is seeking to
provide an highlights on the various issues of environmental pollution and the challenges
encountered in establishing an effective environmental enforcement programme
and the solutions proffered by the government in tackling these problems
(Wikipedia, 2015).
Oil is the primary base of Nigeria’s
economy and is also the cause of major environmental and social problems in the
Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Over the years, oil exploration, production, and
refinement in Nigeria has resulted in various environmental and ecological
problems that range from oil spills, gas flares, habitat destruction, air and
water pollution, and land degradation. Also, a major cause of oil pollution in
that same region is also to a great extent, from the activities of illegal oil
bunkering and illegal refineries operated indigenes and some highly placed
individuals in government. The chemical properties of spilled oil often affect
the productiveness of soil and pollute water bodies, thereby causing
irreparable damage to agricultural lands as well as aquatic bodies. Gas flaring
is a significant environmental and economic problem in and Nigeria emits approximately
70 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually (US EIA1999). This adversely
affects the socio-economic actives of local communities, which is primarily
based on fishing and farming (Egunjobi1993). It is estimated that in one region
alone in the Niger Delta, flaring is statistically likely to cause 49 premature
deaths, 5000 respiratory illnesses among children and some 120,000 asthma
attacks and 8 additional causes of cancer each year (Environmental Rights
Action and the Climate Justice Programme).
Another
major environmental issue ravaging Nigeria is water pollution. According to
Anukam (1997), the main source of water pollution in Nigeria has to do with
forestry activities. Deforestation and improper soil tillage practices increase
the concentration of soil particles that make their way into water bodies and
in turn increases their sediment loads.. The discharge of industrial waste
materials into bodies of water is another major source of pollution in Nigeria.
Discharges from industries such as petroleum, mining, iron and steel,
pharmaceuticals, and textiles among others have increased the contents of
sulfates and nitrates in water bodies and has altered properties such as color
and odor (Adelegan 2004). These metals and other chemical substance increase
the toxicity of water bodies as well as soils. A large percentage of Nigerians
derive most of their domestic and drinking water from ponds, stream, and
shallow wells. Hence, water pollution is a major health concern that places the
health of about 40 million people at risk of diseases such as cholera,
dysentery, diarrhea, and typhoid (Anukam 1997, Adelegan 2004, Orubu 2006).
Domestic and industrial waste has also
constituted a major source of environmental pollution in Nigeria. The improper
disposal and ineffective management of municipal solid waste and industrial
waste creates major environmental and aesthetic problems in most of Nigeria’s
urban areas. Due to overpopulation and the creation of slums, most municipal
areas currently generate more waste than they can manage (Ogbonna and Ekweozor,
2002). This has led to the accumulation of waste heaps in “several areas,
blocking motorways and making passage along alleys and pavements difficult”
(Ajayi and Ikporokpo 2005). The most common method of waste disposal in Nigeria
is waste transfer from one region to another and incineration. The first involves
the transfer of waste from a region that is considered to have a higher
aesthetic value to one that has a lower one. The waste incineration method of
waste disposal often results in air pollution due to the release of gases such
as carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, halogenated carbons,
and other particulate matter.
There
is need for government to enact and implement necessary environmental laws to
control the issues of environmental pollution and this can be done by putting
necessary environmental pollution enforcement structures in place to curb the
spate of environmental pollution in Nigeria.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Irrespective
of the numerous environmental laws enacted to protect the environment,
environmental degradation has continued unabated. Oil spillage and gas flaring
activities are still commonplace in Nigeria, especially in the oil-rich Niger
Delta. Gas flaring has also continued unabated irrespective of the Nigerian
government’s directive to end flaring by 2010 (Kalu, 2009). The Idoho oil spill
incidence of 1997 spilled 40,000 barrels of crude oil into the environment. It
travelled all the way from Akwa Ibom state to Lagos state dispersing oil
through the coastal states, up to the Lagos coast. According to the Department
of Petroleum Resources, between 1997 and 2001, Nigeria recorded a total number
of 2,097 oil spill incidents amounting to 1,947,600 barrels of crude oil.
Thousands of barrels of oil have been split into the environment through our
oil pipelines and tanks in the country. Enforcement of environmental
regulations is still poor as industries continue to discharge untreated waste
water into the environment. Heaps of refuse are always a constant sight to
behold in Nigerian streets and markets.
Most
recently, in December 2011, the SPDC’s Bonga offshore platform spilled about
40, 000 barrels of crude oil into Nigerian waters. On January 16 2012, a gas
explosion occurred at the Finuwa oil field owned by Chevron Nigeria Limited.
The Nigerian government was shockingly silent about these two incidents. This
study however wants to identify the problems of environmental pollution and
proffer solution to the issue.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The
following are the objectives of this study:
1. To
identify the issues of environmental pollution in Nigeria.
2. To
analyze the impact of environmental pollution in Nigeria.
3. To
determine the solutions to the challenges of environmental pollution in
Nigeria.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1. What
are the issues of environmental pollution in Nigeria?
2. What
is the impact of environmental pollution in Nigeria?
3. What
are the solutions to the challenges of environmental pollution in Nigeria?
1.5 HYPOTHESIS
HO:
Environmental pollution is not a major challenge in Nigeria
HA:
Environmental pollution is a major challenge in Nigeria
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The
following are the significance of this study:
1. The
outcome of this research will educate the general public on the issues and the
adverse effect of environmental pollution in Nigeria.
2. The
findings from this study is going to necessitate measures that will lead to
demand for improved implementation of environmental pollution control laws in
Nigeria
3. This
research will also serve as a resource base to other scholars and researchers
interested in carrying out further research in this field subsequently, if
applied, it will go to an extent to provide new explanation to the topic.
1.7 SCOPE/LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
This
study on environmental pollution in Nigeria will cover all cases of
environmental pollution ranging from air and water pollution due to oil
exploration and refining, effluent waste from industries, dump sites all over
Nigeria market and streets and even noise pollution.
LIMITATION OF STUDY
Financial constraint– Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the
researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information
and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
Time constraint– The researcher will
simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently
will cut down on the time devoted for the research work.
REFERENCES
Amukam, O.,
(1997). Pollution control regulation the Nigerian oil industry (Lagos: N.I.A.L.S.1997).
Ogbonna, E.A.,
and Ekweozor, P., (2000): The Adverse Effects of Crude Oil Spills in the Niger
Delta. Urhobo Historical Society.
Ajayi, A.
& Ikporokpor, D., 2002. International Environmental law (Ardley son: Transnational
Publishcrs).
Orubu, E.A.
(2006) The Community of Oil Exporting Countries New York: Cornell University
Press).
Kalu V. E.,
LL.M, BL, (2009): Toxic Wastes And the Nigerian Environment; Dept. Of Private
&Property Law, University of Benin: An Appraisal.
Adelegan,
M.M., 2004: Nigerian Petroleum Law and Practice (Ibadan. Nigeria: Fountain
Books).
Pearson, S.R.,
Petroleum in Nigerian Economy (California: Stanford University Press,1970).