Abstract
The aim of this paper was to appraise the laws on marine biodiversity conservation in Nigeria. It discussed Nigeria’s unique biodiversity profile and the various factors that threaten Nigeria’s reliance on biodiversity for food, medicine and economic sustainability. It then explored how jurisdiction influences Nigeria’s capacity to regulate its marine resources and assesses the role of international legal frameworks, such as United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, 1982 in addressing global challenges like pollution and overfishing. It further discussed the challenges facing marine biodiversity conservation in Nigeria which finally led to comparative analysis using the United Kingdom and the United States of America and lessons for Nigeria from these jurisdictions. It concluded that while Nigeria has law that govern biodiversity, there is poor regulatory framework and implementation strategies regarding marine biodiversity conservation in the country. Thus, it recommended, inter alia, that there should be specific laws to support Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) with clear regulatory frameworks, enforceable by-laws and sufficient resources for enforcement agencies to effectively manage these areas.
A.T. Owubokiri & O. J. Joe-Onyema, pp 1 – 15
