NON-OIL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN NIGERIA: EFFECTIVENESS OF ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATORY LAWS

Abstract

Nigeria is a country that is richly endowed with natural resources including non-oil resources. These non-oil resources are in large deposits, capable of bringing the desired development to Nigeria and her citizens, more than any other resource in the country, if used in a sustainable manner. However, the management of these non-oil resources has not been environmentally friendly. These have resulted in infracting activities that have deleterious effects on the environment, thereby polluting it and making it unfit for human habitation. To curb these infracting activities, environmental laws are enacted to regulate the activities of man in the management of these non-oil resources so as to conserve the environment by keeping it free from pollution. These laws have not been effective as a result of challenges such as ad hoc approach to enactment and inability to enforce them. This paper focuses on management of non-oil resources; regulatory framework for environmental sustainability; and challenges to their effectiveness.