ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF NATURAL RESOURCES EXPLOITATION IN NIGERIA AND THE WAY FORWARD

Natural resources exploitation, exploration, mining and processing have caused different types of environmental damages which include ecological disturbances, destruction of natural flora and fauna, pollution of air, water and land, instability of soil and rock masses, landscape degradation, desertification and global warming. The environmental damage has in turn resulted in waste of arable land as well as economic crops and trees. Since much of the damage is inevitable if the natural resources must be developed, both the government and the natural resource industry must be involved in taking precautionary and remedial measures that can minimize the ill-effects of natural resources exploitation. Emphasis should shift from waste disposal to waste minimization through sorting, recycling, bioremediation, afforestation, sewage treatment and pollution control, while the government should provide the regulatory legislation with appropriate sanctions or where these regulatory bodies already exist, the enforcement of laws and policy implementation is of paramount importance. The oil and gas industries, mining companies and other natural resources exploitation bodies are expected to carry out mandatory precautions, remedies or compensation for damage done.