Professor Damilola Sunday Olawuyi is the Director of the Institute for Oil, Gas, Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development (OGEES Institute) of Afe Babalola University. He is the author of the acclaimed book, The Principles of Nigerian Environmental Law.
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Olawuyi holds a Bachelor of Laws, first class honours from Igbinedion University, Okada another first class honours in the Bar Certificate of the Nigerian Law School, Masters of law of the University of Calgary, Canada, another masters of law of Harvard University, United States of America and a doctor of philosophy in law of the University of Oxford, United Kingdom.
Olawuyi was formerly an energy lawyer at the global law firm, Norton Rose Fulbright, Canada LLP where he served on the firm’s global committee on extractive investments in Africa.
He is also a senior visiting research fellow of the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, University of Oxford, UK. The don had also served as a visiting professor at Columbia University, Cambridge University, Oxford University and China University of Political Science and Law.
Prof. Damilola Sunday Olawuyi, who is a vice chair of the International Law Association (ILA) globally, and the Vice President of the Nigerian Branch of the ILA, spoke with Editor, TheNigeriaLawyers UNINI CHIOMA KATE on the importance of environmental law to economic and social development in Nigeria.
Can you please tell me more about the book, the Principles of Nigerian Environmental Law
This book is a product of over six years of international and comparative legal research on the values, assumptions, and guiding principles that underpin the legal framework for the protection and preservation of the environment in Nigeria. The aim of the book is to explore how the Nigerian model of environmental protection compares to other models across the world. It also presents an exhaustive analysis of the nature of legal protection required to truly achieve the sustainable management of the environment in Nigeria.
In examining these issues, the book takes an international, cross-cutting and comparative approach that benefits immensely from research, professional and teaching experience acquired over the years while I was teaching and working on environmental issues in Nigeria, Canada, United States, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Spain, China, Kenya, Australia, Denmark, France, Italy and Qatar.
The book provides environmental stakeholders from all backgrounds, including students, administrators, lawyers, government representatives, judges, analysts and pundits, a handy tool to access, digest, understand and appreciate the legal and institutional framework for environmental regulation and protection in Nigeria. For anyone interested in learning about the importance of law in the protection of the environment, this book is a must-read.
How is the book different from existing works in the field?
The book builds on limits of existing works in the field that have provided excellent summaries of the law in this area. As you know, since the 2015 adoption of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the international legal community has placed increased emphasis on a green and circular economy as a normative driving force for environmental law and regulation. This book provides updated analysis on how the SDGs can inform and reinforce environmental law implementation in Nigeria.
The book provides compelling analyses of the body of laws, regulations, statutes, enactments and conventions geared towards environmental protection and a green economy in Nigeria.
Since the publication of the very first edition of the book in 2013, and this recently revised edition, the book has become an authoritative source of information on environmental law in Nigerian universities, law firms and government agencies. It has also been adopted as recommended text in universities in South Africa, Kenya and Canada.
What does the green economy mean for Nigeria?
Green or low carbon economy emphasizes environmental conservation as one of the tools for achieving economic growth and development. The key aim is for countries to achieve strong economic growth while reducing the degradation of the environment. Under this paradigm, environmental protection is no longer considered as an externality or ‘add on’, it is considered as a proactive tool for getting to the level of economic growth that a country desires. For example, by promoting “green jobs” through green tourism, recycling, and green transportation, Nigeria can create green jobs and alternative employment for several unemployed graduates; achieve a boost to internally generated revenue at state levels and the overall national Gross Domestic Product (GDP); provide solution to energy deficiency and inadequate power supply through renewable energy; and record monumental progress in environmental issues. A robust implementation of environmental laws to achieve a green and low carbon economy can significantly spur the Nigerian economy. A whole chapter of the book discusses how Nigeria can achieve green and sustainable economic development.
What new frontiers can environmental lawyers in Nigeria explore at this time?
Environmental law has grown significantly over the last two decades as a very important genre of domestic and international law. Environmental lawyers are sought after to advise and provide legal services to clients such as multinational corporations, international oil companies, manufacturing companies, regulatory bodies, federal, state and local governments, environmental boards and tribunals,
international development organizations such as the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP), International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the World Bank, African Development Bank (ADB); and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) such as Green Peace International, Eco-Justice, EarthRights International, and the Friends of the Earth to name a few.
As countries develop infrastructure development plans aimed at attaining the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs, environmental lawyers will be at the fore front of advising clients, governments and institutions on the environmental aspects of project development and planning. This will range from environmental impact assessment, to social impact assessment, human rights impact assessment, stakeholder consultation, community benefit agreements, and end of life time project closure, land reclamation and decommissioning amongst others.
Environmental law is an interesting area of law as it cuts across oil and gas, aviation, electricity, food, agriculture, water, gender justice, climate change and all aspects of development. Also, since environmental problems can have global negative impacts, I often challenge my students to think globally and act locally when it comes to their understanding and analyses of environmental law themes.
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