Abstract
Water Pollution, as a dangerous threat to humanity and ecosystems like other types of pollution has attracted responses across nations, including Nigeria, in their bid to ensuring the protection of their environment for the good health of their citizens, and for the preservation of aquatic and other lives, for the benefit of man. In fact, the health and economic importance of water to man cannot be overemphasized. Obviously, water pollution is an antidote to National Development of any State, as water is very essential and evitable in all facets of human activities and existence, such as domestic uses, transportation and navigation, Industrial use, aquatic habitations, etc. Unfortunately, water is polluted by anthropogenic activities as a result of man’s desire to keep life of afloat through the harnessing of the numerous natural resources he is endowed with, a situation which has given rise to dire consequences and effects to humanity, hence the need to prevent and control this menace by the Nigeria government via legal instruments. Nigeria has promulgated laws on water pollution and entered into international agreements on same, with the sole reason of tackling the challenges of water pollution in the country. This work will x-ray the sources, effects and control of water pollution in Nigeria, and some of the National laws on water pollution in Nigeria, such as the NESREA Act of 2007, the criminal code Act, etc. It will also discuss some of the international treaties on water pollution Nigeria entered into, such as the UNCLOS 1982, and others. The work further will expose the strength and weakness of the National laws and regulations, if any, on water pollution, including the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, with the view to ascertaining whether the issue of water pollution in Nigeria is that of laws or implementation.
Keywords: Water pollution, Environmental, Implications, National Laws, International Laws,
Remedies.