Environmental law clinics could become a strategic tool for protecting communities, strengthening regulatory compliance, and improving Nigeria’s investment climate, according to Professor Olugbenga Oke-Samuel of the Faculty of Law, who delivered the 67th inaugural lecture of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA).
Speaking on Wednesday, at the university’s multipurpose hall, Professor Oke-Samuel argued that decades of environmental degradation and weak enforcement mechanisms have imposed significant economic and social costs on communities and businesses, making a strong case for institutional reforms through environmental law clinics.
The lecture, titled “Environmental Injustice: Redeeming the Time Through Environmental Law Clinics in Nigeria,” drew members of the university’s governing council, legal practitioners, academics, traditional rulers, students, and guests from other institutions.
Highlighting the scale of the environmental challenge, Oke-Samuel noted that Nigeria generates more than 32 million tonnes of solid waste annually, with only about 20 to 30 per cent properly collected. He also pointed to extensive gas flaring activities and the long-term economic burden of environmental remediation in oil-producing communities.
Referring to findings from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), he recalled that the 2011 assessment of Ogoniland described the pollution crisis as one of the most extensive ever documented, requiring between 25 and 30 years of remediation and an initial funding commitment of one billion dollars.
“These are not past afflictions,” he said. “They are our realities.”
According to him, ineffective environmental governance continues to create uncertainty for affected communities and businesses alike.
He cited gaps in regulatory oversight, including the exclusion of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) from the oil and gas sector, weak enforcement of environmental impact assessment requirements, and constitutional limitations that make environmental rights difficult to enforce in court.
The professor noted that these institutional weaknesses have increasingly pushed communities to seek redress outside Nigeria, referencing the landmark Okpabi v. Royal Dutch Shell judgment delivered by the United Kingdom Supreme Court in 2021.
To address the challenge, Oke-Samuel proposed the establishment of semi-autonomous environmental law clinics within university law faculties.
He said the clinics would provide free legal services to pollution-affected communities, undertake public interest litigation, engage regulators, and promote environmental legal awareness.
Beyond their social impact, he argued that such clinics could strengthen accountability, improve compliance culture among businesses, and support sustainable development objectives.
The professor also called for broader policy reforms, including the creation of specialised green courts, constitutional amendments to make environmental rights justiciable, and dedicated funding support for environmental law clinics through the Legal Aid Council and the National Universities Commission.
In his remarks, AAUA Vice Chancellor, Professor Olugbenga Ige, described the lecture as enlightening and reflective of the expanding role of law in addressing societal challenges.
“I never knew that law is science,” he said. “But today, Professor Samuel told us that law is more than going to court to defend what is indefensible.”
The event was particularly significant as it marked the final inaugural lecture to be hosted during Professor Ige’s tenure as Vice Chancellor, which ends on July 7, 2026.