River Ethiope, Nigeria

Legal Rights for the River Ethiope

Earth Law Center has developed an initiative to establish legal rights for the River Ethiope in Nigeria. This river, sacred to local communities, is believed to be the deepest inland waterway in Africa.

The Opportunity to Set a Continental Precedent

The proposed River Ethiope Rights Act offers a groundbreaking opportunity to set a precedent for Nigeria and the entire continent. As the first act to recognize an African river’s intrinsic rights to flow in a sustainable ecosystem, its passage would be a model to ensure rivers’ permanent protection.

The Act would grant rivers the right to flow unimpeded, maintain their natural biodiversity, and undergo restoration when harmed. It would also prioritize the rights and interests of local communities, who rely on these waterways for their wellbeing. By rejecting harmful projects like dams and prioritizing informed consent from impacted communities, we can create a more sustainable future for all.

History of the River Ethiope Campaign

The River Ethiope Campaign has significantly increased protections for the river’s ecosystem, and has provided a steady path for the adoption of the river’s rights in Nigerian law. Environmental advocate and leader Irikefe V. Dafe established the River Ethiope Trust Foundation (RETFON) in 1992 in efforts to address significant wetlands and ecosystem degradation, industrial pollution, and algal blooms along the River Ethiope in the Delta State of Nigeria. Since its founding, RETFON has worked to promote the balance of human rights and the Rights of Nature along the River Ethiope through citizen engagement, river monitoring, and campaigns that urge the Nigerian government to enforce existing environmental laws. In the late 1990s, RETFON’s advocacy led the government to shut down a rubber processing plant and halt a hotel development project that were both polluting the river ecosystem without the requisite Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs). The UN recognized RETFON’s success in the 1990s and early 2000s with a Development Plan Global Environment Facility Grant in 2012.

In 2019, ELC and RETFON drafted the River Ethiope Rights Act, which, if passed, would grant the river legal guardians to protect it from pollution and other forms of ecosystem decimation. Along with the campaign to give River Ethiope rights, RETFON has continued to initiate government-led river health surveys and since 2021, has hosted an annual River Ethiope Festival Week to engage local citizens.

Stakeholders Declaration of Rights of the River Ethiope

Towards this larger goal, with River Ethiope Trust Foundation, ELC also developed a “Stakeholders Declaration of Rights of the River Ethiope” on World Rivers Day and continues advocacy towards the rights of rivers. We also submitted comment letters and gave testimony to the Nigerian National Assembly and Delta State House of Assembly urging their adoption of the rights of rivers and the rights of future generations.

ELC will continue to develop its campaign towards the rights of the River Ethiope, working in the Delta state as well as with local and regional partners.

As part of its larger effort, ELC also supports Earth Law Education at the Federal University of Petroleum Resources and other institutions in the Delta State, Nigeria, and beyond.