EIA systems in Nigeria: evolution, current practice and shortcomings

Amidst mounting criticism of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) carried out in Nigeria under the three independent EIA systems—the EIA Decree 86 (1992), the Town and Country Planning Decree 88 (1992) and the Petroleum Act (1969)—the paper traces the evolution of Nigeriaʹs systems and appraises current practice and shortcomings. The path of development of the systems was traced within the framework of Gibsonʹs model of EIA evolution [Impact Assess. Proj. Apprais., 20 (3) 2002, 151–159], while current practice and shortcomings were explored in random interview surveys of consultant firms, approval authorities and the academia. It was seen that Gibsonʹs four-stage model is not exactly representative of the Nigerian situation, and a more appropriate six-stage model was developed. It was also established that the current practices of the three EIA systems were at different stages of evolution: one of the EIA schemes (the Town and Country Planning Decree) has not evolved satisfactorily, while the other two EIA systems have produced intricate legislations and guidelines, but fall short of first-rate practice. The other discovery was that the simultaneous use of three independent systems creates unnecessary duplication of EIA preparation with considerable time and money costs. The paper advises that Nigeria can make substantial progress along the evolutionary path through a correction of observed system shortcomings and a merger of the three systems.