Sustainable Environmental Management in Nigeria: An Appraisal

Sustainable development necessitates that a nation must meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own desired goals. Therefore, there is need by all nations to struggle to maintain a balance between its economic development and the sustainability of its environmental resources. There have been a lot of efforts by Nigeria, since her independence in developing the right framework aimed at protecting the environment, including the marine and coastal environment, the conservation of natural resources, and the management of trans-boundary hazardous wastes. However, issues of environmental degradation occasioned by hydrocarbon production in the Niger Delta area and solid mineral mining still persist. There are also cases of improper waste disposal and unavailability of waste collection services to many households and industries. This has resulted in some severe and diverse environmental problems such as ecological problems, unplanned growth, domestic and industrial waste pollution. In fact, some of these hazards are irreversible, and resulting in loss of lives and means of livelihood of the local communities. This review is an appraisal of the efforts by the Nigerian government in attaining sustainable environmental management by examining the Nigeria's Environmental Legal Framework, assess the compliance with the sustainable development standards, identify the challenges and suggest the way forward.