CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

The need to promote environmental sustainability has been widely acknowledged globally and in various literature. The term environmental sustainability refers to the responsible management of natural resources to fulfill current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs (Malik et.al, 2024). It aims to balance ecological, economic and social goals, such as reducing carbon emissions, promoting renewable energy and ensuring equitable resource access. Damage from human activity is still encroaching on natural areas, destroying many species' habitats in the process (Referowska-Chodak, 2019). Referowska-Chodak (2019) further states that cities, infrastructure, and agricultural land are expanding and combining as the human population grows, fragmenting the remnant habitat and leaving isolated "islands" of naturally occurring plant and animal populations that are too tiny to survive. According to Intergovernmental Science-Policy on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES, 2019), only one quarter of land areas and one third of oceans remain undamaged by human activity. This concern has led to various proposal by environmentalist, this includes the proposal of two philosophical-cultural visions of the relationship between man and nature in the second half of the nineteenth century, primarily in the United State of America: the first, known as preservationism, held that it was essential to protect the parts of nature that had remained unaltered in order to stop industrial development and urbanisation from destroying the land; the second, known as conservationism, placed protection of nature beneath the economic management of natural resources in order to justify human interventions in the ecosystem in order to maintain its biological equilibriums (Paolini, 2020).

The desire to create an international environmental treaty is not new. A major attempt was made for the first time in history to create a worldwide framework for environmental protection during the June 1972 Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm, (Shi et.al, 2019). Scholars believe that this is both the international environmental law's constitutional moment as well as a catalyst for domestic environmental law (Aguila and Viñuales, 2019). It is however argued that in most developed countries such as United State of America, government and stakeholders are not doing enough to regulate human activities in relation to environmental sustainability (Tyson and Kennedy, 2020). Current United State of America climate policy consists of fragmented subnational actions accompanied by several executive measures, all done in the shadow of Congressional gridlock (Kemp, 2021). This, according to Kemp, is an important limitation to the Paris Climate agreement.

Just as environmental issues are of great concern globally, Nigeria also has significant environmental issues, for instance, oil spills, deforestation and the resulting soil erosion, desertification, ozone depletion, deposition of acid, global warming, and oil pollution due to environmental regulations' inadequate enforcement (Adebimpe and Peters, 2018). The reasons for this inefficiency are attributed to a number of issues with enforcement, including insufficient enforcement facilities, widespread corruption and poor governance, and role conflicts in environmental management (Aliu et al., 2021). Since before colonialism, Nigerian societies have preserved the environment through a variety of traditions, such as sustainable agricultural methods and the preservation of waterways and forests out of respect for their "gods" and ancestors, or for other reasons like cultural factors (Edo et al., 2023).

According to Nigeria's Vision 2020:20 reports (2009), environmental issues are 21st-century global concerns. The research affirms that there are environmental problems and challenges associated with ongoing environmental degradation and the depletion of natural resources, as well as unchecked emissions of wastes, poisonous gasses, and effluents into the air, land, and ocean (Fayomi et al., 2019). Climate change and the manufacturing sector also exacerbate this issue. The public, governments, firms, media, and other stakeholders are becoming increasingly concerned about the environmental effects that local and multinational corporations are having (Kalu and Ott, 2019). Pollution of the air, water, and noise, as well as the mismanagement of land and other natural resources, are examples of how industrial activity and human behaviour have degraded the environment (Dipeolu and Ibem, 2020). Among these are oil pollution, garbage disposal, particularly into water bodies, the loss of natural forest resources, and the accelerated spread of unplanned urbanisation in coastal areas. These issues have substantial negative influence on the ecosystem and, more immediately, on human health and welfare (Kalu and Ott, 2019). After event of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill and the 1984 Bhopal chemical leak gained media exposure, this worry grew increasingly concerning (Button, 2016). In public discussions, the need for modifications to environmental laws and regulations started to become more apparent.

Lagos state being the commercial capital of Nigeria with exploding population projected to reach 18.8 million by 2025, (Onilude and Vaz, 2021) combined with problems of improper waste disposal and other environmental challenges established The Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) in 1996 by virtue of the LASEPA Edict No. 9 of 1996 (now Environment Management and Protection Law 2017 Part VI), (Tijani, 2021). The Agency's primary goal is to safeguard and enhance the environment and help governmental and non-governmental organisations, businesses, industries, and industries attain compliance by offering environmentally friendly solutions to a range of environmental problems (LASEPA, 2022).

The state is still far from accomplishing its goal of sustainable development, even with all the institutions and laws designed to promote environmental sustainability (Tijani, 2021). To promote compliance, an evaluation of the current legislative framework and implementation procedures is necessary. The study by Olujobi (2021) “Sustainable Development and National Integration: A Catalyst for Enhancing Environmental Law Compliance in Nigeria” addressed this issue. However, is limited to inefficiencies of existing environmental institutions due to corruption, ignorance of the public and negative economy and poverty. There is a need to fill the gap by developing a holistic framework underpinned by current realities for relevance and practical enforcement to achieve a higher level of compliance.

2 PROBLEM STATEMENT

Lagos State, Nigeria is fast growing into a mega city due to rapid urbanization and population growth, bringing with it various environmental challenges (Obilor et.al, 2024). Environmental policies, regulations, and standards and associated implementation instruments such as “environmental impact assessments (EIAs), environmental management plans (EMPs), and environmental audits”, have been developed to address its environmental quality concerns and the growing impact of new technologies and ever-larger development schemes (Iheriohanma, 2016). Notwithstanding the various environmental measures intended to boost environmental sustainability and encourage compliance, issues of environmental obedience and implementation across industrial and non-industrial sectors remain current (Aliu, 2021).

Although several studies have been conducted in Nigeria to promote environmental sustainability, there is a paucity of research on the role of regulation in environmental sustainability in Lagos, Nigeria. A research gap is an assessment of effectiveness and implementation and enforcement challenges facing Lagos environmental laws. In this respect, research can be done on how far existing environmental laws are applied; the mechanism of staying compliant with these policies and identifying obstacles that prevent proper implementation will reveal gaps in sustainability while pointing at available opportunities. Another critical research gap on the factors that shape compliance to environmental regulations among individuals, firms and sectors in Lagos remains an area of need.

Concerning the gap identified, achieving environmental sustainability in Lagos and the wider Nigerian context is essential and this study aims to contribute practically and theoretically to previous works.