Working towards an integrated land contamination management framework for Nigeria

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Environmental Policy
• Risk Assessment

Background:

• Nigeria has developed contaminated land legislation over 50 years, primarily due to oil and gas activities.
• Current legislation includes risk assessment but lacks integration of scientific information and socio-economic values.
• International regimes in the UK, USA, and others offer advanced integrative approaches for contaminated land management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose an integrated risk assessment framework for Nigeria's contaminated land management.
• To incorporate sustainability principles and stakeholder engagement into decision-making.
• To address environmental, economic, and social values in land remediation.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of Nigerian legislation with international best practices.
• Development of an integrated risk assessment framework.
• Emphasis on transparency and stakeholder engagement for trust and data improvement.

Main Results:

• Nigerian contaminated land management is currently ad hoc and lacks integrative mechanisms.
• The proposed framework integrates sustainability and stakeholder engagement.
• Transparency and stakeholder input are key to addressing data deficiencies and building trust.

Conclusions:

• Nigeria's contaminated land management requires significant development to align with international standards.
• An integrated risk assessment framework is proposed to enhance decision-making.
• A roadmap and policy priorities are identified for implementation.