NBA 1ST VICE PRESIDENT & CHAIRMAN HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTE ADDRESS AT THE ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHT & CLIMATE JUSTICE IN NIGERIA: LAW, REMEDIES & ACCOUNTABILITY. TODAY, THE 16TH DAY OF APRIL, 2026.
Protocol
It is my privilege to welcome you all to this very important conference. Permit me to add that this conference is like no other, it is a special conference that deals with special issues in our nation.
No doubt, in this conference our attentions are not only on human rights but also on our environment and the rights thereto. Let me quickly point out here that there cannot be Human Rights without Environmental Rights.
In Nigeria, Human Rights cannot be fully enjoyed without environmental rights as the two are inextricably linked and often viewed as two sides of the same coin. While the 1999 constitution (as amended) does not explicitly list Environmental Rights under the justiciable Fundamental Rights as shown in (chapter iv).
It acknowledges environmental protection in section 20, and courts have interpreted the rights to life and dignity to include the right to a clean, safe and healthy environment.
It is equally relevant to consider what is climate justice? Climate justice means holding communities, corporations and people fueling our climate crisis accountable and demanding they support those experiencing its harshest effects.
I was reading an International journal about El Nino.What is ‘El Niño’? Simply put, the water in the Pacific Ocean becomes very warm. This changes the air flow around the world. The southwest monsoon, which is supposed to bring us rain in May, may be late or less this time. This means that when it should rain, there will only be intense heat.
This situation is very dangerous.
Even healthy people can die due to heat stroke. Therefore, to save our lives, we must do the following immediately:
Don’t wait until you feel thirsty – that is dangerous! Thirst is a sign that the body is already dehydrated. You should drink water every hour. Make sure children and the elderly drink water. Always keep a water bottle nearby.
The most dangerous time is from 11 am to 3 pm. At this time, the sun hits the body directly. Stay indoors as much as possible. Think carefully if there are schoolsports events. Your child’s life is more valuable than any medal
-Fundamental Violation:
Environmental degradation ( such as oil spills in the Niger Delta pollution, or deforestation) directly undermines the right to life, health, livelihood, and human dignity.
-Legal Interpretation:
Nigerian courts have recently recognized the constitutional rights to life and dignity (section 33 & 34) are violated when industrial activity destroys a persons livelihood and Environment.
-African Charter:
The African Charter on human and peoples rights, rectified by Nigeria, guarantees the rights to a “general satisfactory environment” which is considered a fundamental right that can be enforced in Nigerian Courts.
However, there are some challenges like the non- justiciability. Section 20 of the Nigerian constitution (which protects the environment) is located under chapter 2, (fundamental objective and directive principle’s), Making it largely non justiciable (unenforceable) on its own.
I therefore urge Nigerians home and abroad, legal experts and activists, market women to insist that Nigeria must amend the constitution to explicitly make environmental rights justiciable under chapter iv, removing the reliance on broad judicial interpretation, I submit with high sense of responsibility that without a healthy safe and clean environment the fundamental rights to life and human dignity are continuously violated, making environmental rights necessary for the enjoyment of human rights.
I am confident that by the end of this conference, we would have made significant progressive strides in this regard. I therefore urge that all hands be on deck to make this vision a reality. Let us engage, let us comtribute, and let us commit to shaping the future of Environmental Rights in our country.
Once again, I warmly welcome you all and wish us a fruitful and memorable deliberations.
Sabastine Anyia LL. M
NBA 1st Vice President & Chairman Human Rights Institute.
