Asuni Thesis 2021
Date
2021-02-04
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
ORCID
0000-0001-9353-5060
Type
Thesis
Degree Level
Masters
Abstract
This thesis compares the legal and institutional frameworks for protecting human rights in the oil
and gas industries of Nigeria and Canada. The thesis identifies environmental human rights as
the human rights that are most often violated in these settings, hence the discussion of
environmental human rights constitutes a major portion of this thesis. This thesis examines the
procedural components of environmental human rights with the aim of recommending certain
procedures that may help improve the human rights situation in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
This thesis examines the history of human rights in Canada and Nigeria. It also explains that
environmental rights are human rights. It further identifies the major applicable domestic and
international laws and the institutions that are relevant to protecting human rights affected by the
oil and gas industries of Canada and Nigeria. Although this thesis acknowledges that Canada and
Nigeria have administrative and political differences, it nevertheless argues that they share
similarities that warrant the comparison. It furthermore argues that this comparison reveals
certain largely procedural recommendations that are advanced here for possible implementation
in Nigeria.
Overall, this thesis identifies certain procedural differences between the countries’ frameworks.
It recommends the implementation of some new procedural mechanisms that will improve the
level of human rights compliance within the Nigerian oil and gas industry. The key
recommendations include: encouraging public participation through the implementation of a
participant funding scheme; reducing the incidences of regulatory overlaps; allowing for the
independence of the bodies in charge of impact assessments; utilizing technology during
assessment processes; instituting periodic review of regulatory laws; prohibiting problematic
conduct; and holding corporate officers liable for corporate violations, among others.
Description
Keywords
Nigeria, Canada, Comparative Analysis, Human Rights, Oil & Gas Industry, Laws & Regulatory Framework
Citation
Degree
Master of Laws (LL.M.)
Department
Law
Program
Law