IMPACT OF ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS ON NIGERIAN

ENVIRONMENT
Environmental laws and regulations must be enacted for sustainability and improvement of Nigerian
Environment. This paper analyzes and articulates the impact of environmental governance in Nigeria. It
identified various environmental challenges confronting Nigeria and justification for regulation. This
focused on strategies that will increase the efficiency of environmental regulation and ensure the
optimal maximization of social and environmental welfare.

Drawing from the economic analysis of legal rules, this paper identified normative reasons for the poor
formulation and implementation of environmental law in Nigeria which resulted in increased pollution
and environmental injustice. The paper concluded by proffering practical regulatory techniques that can
challenge policymaker to improve environment governance in Nigeria. On the basis of this analysis,
innovate environmental governance strategy may be identified and new solutions developed.
Environmental degradation has continued to generate unpleasant challenges for health and economic
development in Nigeria. Some of these Prvant laws. These challenges include low-level constitutional
provision for environmental protection, roles and conflicts in environmental management, undue
adherence to legalism by the courts and absence of mandatory disclosure of information.

Thus, the legislative objectives remain unachieved because enforcement is superficial; excessive time
exists between non-compliance and enforcement; available punishment for non-compliance is
inadequate; injured parties are not properly compensated; and some environmental crimes receive
administrative instead of remedial measures or criminal punishments. The study advocates for the
encouragement of private and public interest litigation, creation of procedure for enhancing public
participation in Nigerian environmental protection, creation of environmental emergencies and
establishment of environmental courts.

A United Nations Environment Assembly meeting being held in Nairobi this week is considering whether
to start assessing, and setting rules on, technologies that could pull carbon out of the atmosphere or
block some of the sun’s warmth to cool the Earth.

Delegates have been debating a proposal from Switzerland, backed by 10 other countries, to begin
examining geo-engineering technologies, which backers say could help fend off the worst impacts of
runaway climate change.

If adopted, the proposal could lead to the highest-level examination yet of the controversial
technologies, which have gained prominence as efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions fall short.

“This UN Environment Assembly has decided to take on the most pressing

environmental challenges in generations, steadily committed united and
determined to seek a sustainable path for future generations. This is the
moment and time that will define us, we have the scientific evidence, we
have the policies now it’s time for action,” said UN Environment Assembly
president, Siim Kiisler in an address to delegates.

Opponents say the technologies present huge potential risks to people and
nature, and could undermine efforts to cut emissions, not least because
many are backed by fossil-fuel interests.

Businesses that make products which promote sustainable development

were invited to showcase their innovations and join in discussions away from
the main hall.

Achenyo Idachaba Obaro runs an organization that trains communities in

Nigeria to make diverse goods from hyacinth.

Water hyacinth has choked off large parts of water bodies on the continent,
including Lake Victoria, a fresh water lake that straddles Kenya, Uganda and
Tanzania. Environmentalists have been raising the alarm about its rampant
spread for decades.

“Of course the environment is key to any and everything that we do. For us
as an enterprise and what we do, we have a global problem on our hands
water hyacinth is not just a Nigerian problem it’s not a Kenyan problem we
have 50 plus countries in tropical and sub tropical zones that are affected by
water hyacinth at this stage, and I think this is a good platform to showcase
that you know the same way we look at things there is a hash tag clean seas,
there should be hash tag water hyacinth transformed. Whereby there is a
consulted effort to look how we can actually transform this renewable
resource into beneficial use on a scalable platform,” said Obaro.

Environmentalists are pushing for rapid slashing of emissions through use of

greener power, preserving forests and similar measures to promote
sustainable development and combat global warming.

Newton Owino, a Kenyan who makes leather products from fish skin also
exhibited his work at the conference’s exhibition space.

Owino says he started his business after realizing that fish factories were
polluting the environment with waste that he could process.

“Though I would wish that we could have more and more people coming up,
to innovate based — to come up with innovations based on the water
resources, actually this would help us promote the conservation activities
along the water bodies. Like for example right now am doing the fish skin
now those who are killing the reptiles like crocodiles for skin can now have an
alternative and this a way of conserving actually the marine ecosystem,”
said Owino.

Global exploitation of natural resources – from water, sand and timber to oil, coal and gemstones – has
more than tripled in 50 years, the United Nations said on Tuesday (March 12) warning of devastating
environmental impacts unless demand is reduced.

Surging consumption of natural resources – 92 billion tonnes in 2017 – accounts for half of the world’s
planet-heating greenhouse gas emissions and over 90 percent of the world’s biodiversity loss, the Global
Resources Outlook 2019 found.

If resource use doubles by 2060, as predicted based on current trends, a further 10 percent of forests
and 20 percent of habitats, such as grasslands, will disappear, it said.

“We have had commitments from parties, from multi lateral organizations including the World Bank
committing to work with countries like Kenya and other African countries who are badly impacted by
climate change. And I think that’s a positive step in the right direction, and if other friendly countries and
multinational institutions can take similar steps that would help in addressing the urgent need of
mitigating and adapting to the impact of climate change,” said Blama Nathenian, a delegate at the
conference.

Experts warn that without more responsible, efficient natural resource management, achieving global
targets on climate change like the Paris Agreement and or Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on
protecting biodiversity will be difficult.

ESTIMATING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS FROM PORT VESSEL OPERATIONS AT THE LAGOS
AND TIN CAN PORTS OF NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emission, the number one contributor to global warming is not just a product of
in-land transportation, industries and other anthropogenic effect but also the maritime and shipping
industries. This article estimates the amount of greenhouse gases emitted from port vessel operations in
the Lagos and Tin Can ports of Nigeria. The emission estimate was carried out based on the type of the
vessel and its movement from the moment of its arrival (400 km from the coast). The emission estimate
was done using the bottom-up approach based on the characteristics of individual vessels and using data
on vessels processed by both ports in the first and second quarter of the year 2017. Among various types
of vessels, Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) carriers are the heaviest emitters, followed by the container
vessels and general cargo vessels. Result for the first and second quarter of 2017 indicates that
approximately 16,335 t and 773 t of CO2 were produced and emitted during anchorage and while
passing through lock gates movement, respectively. Also, 644 t of CO2 was emitted through maneuvering
to the dock movement. Consequently, these three movements account for 85% of the total CO2
emission from Lagos and Tin Can ports. These emissions are known to contribute to lung cancer, cardio
vascular and cardio pulmonary functions, allergies and asthma, particularly for the inhabitants of
communities lying along the sea shore. However, if provisions are made for electricity from land, about
5% of the estimated emissions during cargo handling can be avoided.

Author information

David O. Olukanni

Professor David O. OLUKANNI is a faculty in Civil Engineering Department at Covenant University. He is a

Fulbright Scholar; studied at the University of Oklahoma, Norman and researched at North Carolina State
University, Raleigh, U.S.A. He was Chair of Civil Engineering and currently Director, Quality and Academic
Standards, Covenant University. He is a member of Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria
(COREN); Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) and American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). He has
published widely and serves on Editorial Board and reviewer for several journals.

He serves as assessor and external examiner for postgraduate dissertations and thesis. He is the research
cluster head of Urban Environmental Issues and National Development at Covenant University. His
research interest includes: Solid Waste Management; Environmental Sustainability; Rural-Urban Water
Supply, Wastewater Management, Rural/Urban Sanitation and Hygiene studies. He has supervised and
mentored several students towards the award of their degrees.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors are grateful to the NPA for making available the data on vessels characteristics, movements
and call on their website. We also appreciate the members of the pilot association, Damen Shipyards
Group and Appledore Shipbuilders for making available some coded information that led to the success
of this work. The management of Covenant University is also appreciated for providing an enabling
environment in doing the report of this research work.

EFFECTS AND CONTROL OF GLOBAL WARMING

 GLOBAL WARMING

Mechanism, Effects and Control of Global Warming

Global warming, a recent warming of the Earth’s surface and lower atmosphere, is believed to be the
result of a strengthening of the greenhouse effect mostly due to human-produced increases in
atmospheric greenhouse gases.

The greenhouse effect is a process by which radioactive energy leaving a planetary surface is absorbed
by some atmospheric gases, called greenhouse gases. They transfer this energy to other components of
the atmosphere, and it is re-radiated in all directions, including back down towards the surface. This
transfers energy to the surface and lower atmosphere, so the temperature there is higher than it would
be if direct heating by solar radiation were the only warming mechanism.

This mechanism is fundamentally different from that of an actual greenhouse, which works by isolating
warm air inside the structure so that heat is not lost by convection.

The greenhouse effect was discovered by Joseph Fourier in 1824, first reliably experimented on by John
Tyndall in 1858, and first reported quantitatively by Svante Arrhenius in 1896.

Also Study: Global Warming Essay in English – 684 Words

A greenhouse gas (sometimes abbreviated GHG) is a gas in an atmosphere that absorbs and emits
radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the effect. The
primary greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere are water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous
oxide, and ozone.

In order, the most abundant greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere are: Water vapour. rules
movement'sde, methane. Nitrous oxide.Ozone, chlorofluorocarbons.

The contribution to the greenhouse effect by a gas is affected by both the characteristics of the gas and
its abundance. The phenomenon that worries the environmental scientists is that due to anthropogenic
activities there is an increase in the concentration of the greenhouse gases in the air that absorb infrared
light containing heat and results in the re-radiation of even more of the outgoing thermal infrared
energy, thereby increasing the average surface temperature beyond 15°C.

The phenomenon is referred to as the enhanced greenhouse effect to distinguish its effect from the one
that has been operating naturally for millennia. The greenhouse gases present in the troposphere and
resulting in an increase in the temperature of air and the earth are discussed here:

CO2:

It contributes about 55% to global warming from greenhouse gases produced by human activity.
Industrial countries account for about 76% of annual emissions. The main sources are fossil fuel burning
(67%) and deforestation, other forms of land clearing and burning (33%). CO2 stays in the atmosphere
for about 500 years. CO2 concentration in the atmosphere was 355 ppm in 1990 that is increasing at a
rate of 1.5 ppm every year.

CFC:

These are believed to be responsible for 24% of the human contribution to greenhouse gases. They also
deplete ozone in the stratosphere. The main sources of CFCs include leaking air conditioners and
refrigerators, evaporation of industrial solvents, production of plastic foams, aerosols, propellants etc.

CFCs take 10-15 years to reach the stratosphere and generally trap 1500 to 7000 times more heat per
molecule than C02 while they are in the troposphere. This heating effect in the troposphere may be
partially offset by the cooling caused when CFCs deplete ozone during their 65 to 110 years stay in the
stratosphere. Atmospheric concentration of CFC is 0.00225 ppm that is increasing at a rate of 0.5%
annually.

CH4 (Methane) :

It accounts for 18% of the increased greenhouse gases. Methane is produced when bacteria break down
dead organic matter in moist places that lack oxygen such as swamps, natural wetlands, paddy fields,
landfills and digestive tracts of cattle, sheep and termites.

Production and use of oil and natural gas and incomplete burning of organic material are also significant
sources of methane. Methane stays in the atmosphere for 7-10 years. Each methane molecule traps
about 25 times as much heat as a C02 molecule. Atmospheric concentration of methane is 1.675 ppm
and it is increasing at a rate of 1% annually.

N2O:

It is responsible for 6% of the human input of greenhouse gases. Besides trapping heat in the
troposphere it also depletes ozone in the stratosphere. It is released from nylon products, from burning
of biomass and nitrogen rich fuels (especially coal) and from the breakdown of nitrogen fertilizers in soil,
livestock wastes and nitrate contaminated groundwater. Its life span in the troposphere is 140-190 years
and it traps about 230 times as much heat per molecule as CO2. The atmospheric concentration of N20
is 0.3 ppm and is increasing at a rate of 0.2% annually.

Mechanism of Global Warming:

The incoming radiation from the Sun is mostly in the form of visible light and nearby wavelengths, largely
in the range 0.2 – 4 1m, corresponding to the Sun’s radiative temperature of 6,000 K. Almost half the
radiation is in the form of “visible” light, which our eyes are adapted to use.

About 50% of the Sun’s energy is absorbed at the earth’s surface and the rest is reflected or absorbed by
the atmosphere. The reflection of light back into space – largely by clouds – does not much affect the
basic mechanism; this light, effectively, is lost to the system.
iii. The absorbed energy warms the surface. Simple presentations of the greenhouse effect, such as the
idealized greenhouse model, show this heat being lost as thermal radiation. The reality is more complex:
the atmosphere near the surface is largely opaque to thermal radiation (with important exceptions for
“window” bands), and most heat loss from the surface is by sensible heat and latent heat transport.

Radiative energy losses become increasingly important higher in the atmosphere largely because of the
decreasing concentration of water vapour, an important greenhouse gas. It is more realistic to think of
the greenhouse effect as applying to a “surface” in the mid-troposphere, which is effectively coupled to
the surface by a lapse rate.

Effects of Global Warming:

(i) Global Temperature Increase:

It is estimated that the earth’s mean temperature will rise between 1.5 to 5.5°C by 2050 if input of
greenhouse gases continues to rise at the present rate. Even at the lower value, earth would be warmer
than it has been for 10,000 years.

(ii) Rise in Sea Level:

With the increase in global temperature sea water will expand. Heating will melt the polar ice sheets and
glaciers resulting in further rise in sea level. Current models indicate that an increase in the average
atmospheric temperature of 3°C would raise the average global sea level by 0.2-1.5 meters over the next
50-100 years.

One meter rise in sea level will inundate low lying areas of cities like Shanghai, Cairo, Bangkok, Sydney,
Hamburg and Venice as well as agricultural lowlands and deltas in Egypt, Bangladesh, India, China and
will affect rice productivity.

This will also disturb many commercially important spawning grounds, and would probably increase the
frequency of storm damage to lagoons, estuaries and coral reefs. In India, the Lakshadweep Islands with
a maximum height of 4 meters above the sea level may be vulnerable.

Some of the most beautiful cities like Mumbai may be saved by heavy investment on embankment to
prevent inundation. Life of millions of people will be affected by the sea level rises who have built homes
in the deltas of the Ganges, the Nile, the Mekong, the Yangtze and the Mississippi rivers.

(iii) Effects of Global Warming on Human Health:

The global warming will lead to changes in the rainfall pattern in many areas, thereby affecting the
distribution of vector-borne diseases like malaria, filariasis, elephantiasis etc. Areas which are presently
free from diseases like malaria; schistosomiasis etc. may become the breeding grounds for the vectors of
such diseases.

The areas likely to be affected in this manner are Ethiopia, Kenya and Indonesia. Warmer temperature
and more water stagnation would favor the breeding of mosquitoes, snails and some insects, which are
the vectors of such diseases. Higher temperature and humidity will increase/aggravate respiratory and
skin diseases.

(iv) Effects of Global Warming on Agriculture:

There are different views regarding the effect of global warming on agriculture. It may show positive or
negative effects on various types of crops in different regions of the world. Tropical and subtropical
regions will be more affected since the average temperature in these regions is already on the higher
side.

Even a rise of 2°C may be quite harmful to crops. Soil moisture will decrease and evapotranspiration will
increase, which may drastically affect wheat and maize production. Increase in temperature and
humidity will increase pest growth like the growth of vectors for various diseases. Pests will adapt to
such changes better than the crops. To cope up with the changing situation, drought resistant, heat
resistant and pest resistant varieties of crops have to be developed.

Control Measure of Global Warming:

There are numerous ways to stop global warming:

1. Plant More Trees and Stop Contributing to Deforestation:

This is by far the easiest measure to save our planet from the hazards of global warming. Global warming
can be attributed to the large scale concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. That being said
planting trees can help in absorbing this harmful gas and help in regulating its amount in the atmosphere
and help in preventing global warming by lessening green house effect.

2. Switch to Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs:

Every household which uses incandescent bulbs contributes to global warming on a large scale. On the
whole, these bulbs add 300 lbs of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere every year. Replacing incandescent
bulbs with energy saving Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFLs) can help in reducing carbon dioxide
generation and help you to save 60 per cent of energy.

3. Reuse and Recycle Products:

Reusing and recycling various products which we use in our day to day life can also help you in doing
your bit to stop global warming. For instance, recycling paper will make sure that the large scale felling of
trees to produce paper is stopped, and these trees will in turn absorb the carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere and reduce global warming.

4. Unplug Appliances:

Unplugging appliances to save energy is yet another effective way to address the problems of global
warming. Simply unplugging all the electronic devices which are not in use can help in saving 20 per cent
energy. More importantly, it will also help in reducing your electricity bill by 10 per cent every month.
5. Avoid Keeping Electrical Appliances on Standby:

Similarly, keeping electronic appliances on standby also contributes to loss of energy and global
warming, and therefore is best avoided. One may feel that keeping a single computer on standby won’t
make a big difference, but when millions of people think in this manner it does make a drastic difference.

6. Use a Programmable Thermostat:

A thermostat helps in regulating the temperature by altering heat supply. Make sure that you keep your
thermostat as low as possible during the winter, and as high as possible during the summer. Lowering
the thermostat by 2 degrees in winter and increasing it by 2 degrees in summer can help in keeping
2,000 lbs of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.

7. Promote the use of organic products:

Promoting the use of organic foods is also one of the effective ways to prevent global warming. The
tendency of organic soils to capture carbon dioxide far exceeds that of the soil used in conventional
farming. Estimates suggest that we can get rid of 580 billion lbs of carbon dioxide if we resort to organic
farming for food production.

8. Use Vehicles Efficiently:

One of the leading causes of pollution, vehicles dump a great amount of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere. If we stop using vehicle we can cut down of great amount of pollution. If you can’t resist
vehicle, you can opt to efficient driving tips, such as turning the engine off at red lights and driving at
moderate speeds, and contribute in curbing global warming. Ideally though, you should opt for public
transport or other environment friendly modes of transportation such as cycling.

9. Resort to Alternative Sources of Energy:

One of the most talked about global warming solution is to switch to alternative energy sources such as
solar power and wind power. You can easily harness these sources of nature to generate power, and
replace fossil fuels with it. Doing away with fossil fuels alone will help in reducing the huge amount of
carbon dioxide in the atmosphere every day.