A recent policy brief has called on the Nigerian government and businesses to urgently prioritise Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence (HREDD) to protect vulnerable communities from the harmful impacts of corporate activities.
The report emphasises the pervasive corporate irresponsibility and weak enforcement that continue exacerbating environmental degradation and human rights violations, urging immediate action to make HREDD a legal and operational priority in Nigeria.
Global Rights, a civil society organisation, has led the call for businesses to uphold the environmental and social rights of communities impacted by pollution and other destructive corporate practices.
During a one-day training and interactive session in Abuja, Global Rights‘ Executive Director Abiodun Baiyewu highlighted that many host communities suffer from air and water pollution, inadequate safety standards, labour rights violations, land expropriation, gender discrimination, and security breaches. These negative impacts, she noted, are a direct result of corporate negligence and insufficient enforcement of existing laws.
Baiyewu emphasised that although Nigeria has established frameworks like the National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights (NAP-BHR), businesses have largely failed to respect human and environmental rights.
She pointed out that the enforcement of these frameworks remains weak, allowing corporations to operate irresponsibly.
Dr. Joel Bisma, co-chair of the Nigeria Working Group on Voluntary Principles Initiative on Security and Human Rights, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the lack of monitoring by government agencies and calling for greater collaboration between NGOs, the media, and communities to hold companies accountable.
LEADERSHIP reports that the policy document also identifies a widespread lack of awareness and compliance among micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
Despite claiming ethical practices, even large multinational corporations have been linked to significant human rights and environmental violations. The policy brief calls for a multi-faceted approach to address these challenges, emphasising the need for legal reforms that align Nigerian laws with global best practices, such as the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (EU CSDDD). Regulatory bodies like the National Human Rights Commission are urged to lead these efforts.
The report stresses the importance of capacity building to raise awareness and expertise, particularly among MSMEs, which often lack the knowledge and resources to comply with due diligence requirements. Stakeholders are encouraged to collaborate across sectors, with initiatives like the UN Global Compact Network and the National Roundtable on Business and Human Rights playing a vital role in fostering cooperation.
The policy brief also proposes that the Nigerian government incentivize compliance by offering tax breaks and recognition programs to ethical businesses, while imposing penalties on violators. Additionally, satellite monitoring is recommended to enhance transparency and enforcement.
Ultimately, the report calls for a shift in Nigeria’s approach to corporate responsibility, urging the government to strengthen institutional frameworks and ensure that businesses are held accountable for human rights and environmental abuses.
The current regulatory landscape, marked by weak enforcement and corporate impunity, needs urgent reform to create an environment where human rights and environmental protections are genuinely upheld. The report concludes that meaningful change will remain elusive without these reforms, leaving vulnerable communities at risk and sustainable development unattainable.
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