A legal expert at Access to Justice at the Public and Private Development Centre, a CSO, ( PPDC), Barr. Manasseh Akpa has given insights into what limits citizens’ ability to seek judicial remedies for environmental violations in Nigeria.
Akpa was speaking at the Kaduna Monthly Climate Hangout held at the Nigerian Red Cross office Thursday, on the relationship between environmental protection and human rights in the country.
A group photograph of participants at the Hangout
Akpa who first outlined benefits of a clean and healthy environment as fundamental to the enjoyment of the rights to life, health, food, water and sanitation, warned that environmental degradation disproportionately affects vulnerable communities.
He cited several international and regional legal instruments supporting environmental rights, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, Rio Declaration, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement.
Akpa said though Nigeria has domesticated the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, giving it legal force within the country’s judicial system, section 20 of the 1999 Constitution mandates the state to protect and improve the environment, as contained in Chapter II under the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy, thereby rendering it non-justiciable.
Section 6(6)(c) of the Constitution, Akpa explained, prevents courts from enforcing the environmental obligations contained in Chapter II, thereby limiting citizens’ ability to seek judicial remedies for environmental violations.
“The Constitution recognises environmental protection as a state objective, but citizens cannot directly enforce that provision in court because it is non-justiciable,” he clarified.
He argued that while Nigeria has numerous environmental laws, including the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) Act and other sectoral legislation, their effectiveness is weakened because the constitutional right to a healthy environment is not expressly guaranteed as a fundamental right.
Akpa therefore called for constitutional reforms to move environmental protection from Chapter II to Chapter IV of the Constitution, where enforceable fundamental human rights are provided
The legal expert urged environmental advocates, journalists and civil society groups to continue pursuing lawful advocacy, policy reforms and strategic litigation to strengthen environmental governance and accountability in
Speaking on the theme, “Assessment of the Physicochemical and Biological Effects of Abattoir Effluents on Public Health, Climate and Environment in Kaduna,” an environmental educator and geologist at Kaduna Polytechnic, Mrs. Halima Haruna, said abattoir pollution poses serious health, environmental and climate risks that demand urgent public attention.
According to her, journalists have a critical responsibility to expose environmental violations, promote accountability and simplify scientific findings for public understanding.
“Abattoir pollution thrives in silence and ignorance,” she said. “The media must investigate, educate the public, amplify scientific evidence and ensure those responsible are held accountable.”
Haruna warned that exposure to untreated abattoir waste could increase the risk of cancer, heavy metal poisoning, bioaccumulation and other long-term health complications.
She noted that environmental impacts include the daily dumping of large volumes of solid waste, untreated wastewater discharged into open drains and groundwater sources, contamination of soil with heavy metals such as cadmium, lead, mercury, zinc and copper, as well as dangerous levels of particulate matter exceeding World Health Organization guidelines.
She also highlighted the climate implications of abattoir activities, explaining that the decomposition of animal waste releases methane—a potent greenhouse gas—while the burning of tyres, plastics and used engine oil generates harmful gases including carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, sulphur oxides and nitrogen oxides, alongside fine particulate matter that degrades air quality.
Despite the challenges, Haruna said sustainable waste management offers significant opportunities.
She identified methane capture for electricity generation, biogas production for cooking fuel, composting of organic waste into fertiliser and carbon credit schemes as practical solutions capable of reducing emissions while creating jobs and generating income.
She urged governments to relocate abattoirs away from densely populated residential areas and encouraged environmental organisations to strengthen collaboration with scientists and medical researchers to monitor emerging environmental and public health threats.
