Abstract :
Nigeria is on the verge of comprehensively reviewing its oil and gas laws. The review
is aimed at, among other things, addressing the conflicts associated with the management
of the resources and, especially, the affect on the people of the oil producing
region of the country who have been vigorously protesting about their
alienation from the resources. Drawing on the international law of public participation
in natural resource management, this article seeks to develop a viable legislative
framework for public participation in oil and gas decision-making that Nigeria
can adopt. A viable legislative framework must take into account the various factors
that shape the effectiveness of participation and the elements that promote the
objectives of participation. It is premised on the ground that looking to international
prescriptions might help to elucidate gaps in domestic laws, as well as alternatives to
overcome them.
