SUING ACROSS BORDERS: INTERNATIONAL TORT LAW AND NIGERIA OIL POLLUTION LITIGATIONS

Abstract

This paper is a re-appraisal of the international torts law remedies available to the victims of pollution in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria. Environmental protection in Nigeria is governed by a mix of local regulations and international laws. International torts law is the legal framework that governs legal disputes between individuals and companies from different countries. Unlike domestic tort law, which handles disputes within a single country, international tort law deals with legal issues where the plaintiff, the defendant, or the harmful act is located in different countries, like domestic tort law. The examination of the role of international tort law and transnational litigation in combating pollution in the oil sector in Nigeria has become necessary because victims often face challenges in seeking redress at home due to weak domestic enforcement, jurisdictional barriers, and the transnational nature of oil operations. In carrying out this research, the doctrinal approach was employed, which exposed the lapses in the local remedies to offer protection to the victims of oil and gas pollution in Nigeria. That is why the paper recommended that the victims of pollution from the oil sector in Nigeria should invoke the international tort law to supplement the local remedies in seeking compensation for their environmental harm.