Abstract

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have been at the forefront of securing environmental justice for the people of Nigeria’s Niger Delta suffering the effects of pollution arising from petroleum exploitation. Standing constraints have, however, limited NGOs’ abilities to access the courts to prevent or remedy pollution. This article analyses the recent decision of Nigeria’s Supreme Court in Center for Oil Pollution Watch v Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). It finds that environmental NGOs, previously unable to institute action under existing public interest litigation procedures, can now institute action in their own rights to prevent or remedy environmental pollution in Nigeria.

中文翻译：

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非政府组织站在尼日利亚的石油污染诉讼中—“石油污染观察中心”诉尼日利亚国家石油公司

摘要

非政府组织（NGOs）一直在为遭受石油开采造成的污染影响的尼日利亚尼日尔三角洲人民确保环境正义方面走在前列。但是，长期的制约因素限制了非政府组织诉诸法院预防或补救污染的能力。本文分析了尼日利亚最高法院在《石油污染观察中心》诉尼日利亚国家石油公司（NNPC）中的最新裁决。调查发现，以前无法根据现有的公共利益诉讼程序提起诉讼的环保非政府组织现在可以以自身的权利提起诉讼，以预防或补救尼日利亚的环境污染。