Abstrait

The Petroleum Industries Bill; a Deficient Policy for Environmental Management in Nigeria's Oil and Gas Sector.

Chukwuemeka Chuks-Ezike*

The process for passage of the Petroleum Industries Bill (PIB) of Nigeria, instituted in 2008 was done with the purpose of regulating Nigeria’s oil and gas sector. This Bill is therefore, upon passage, expected to repeal all extant statutes regulating the oil and gas sector. Indeed, environmental management seems to be an important subject in most of Nigeria’s oil and gas legislations. It is however, notable that the theoretical importance given to this piece of legislation might not exactly translate to its practical effects on the environment. The factors of time, and the significant increase in oil and gas pollution (both in the upstream, midstream and downstream sectors) over the years seem to make extant laws (which the PIB seeks to repeal) ineffective. It is therefore trite that one of the reasons for initiating the PIB is to proffer solutions to the seeming ineffectiveness of current legislative provisions on environmental management and sanctioning in the oil and gas sector. This article therefore, within the context of this objective, shall examine the PIB to determine whether legislative provisions under the Bill provides any real solution to environmental challenges in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.