Ecological Sustainability of Petroleum Resources Utilisation in Nigeria

Humans will continue to depend on their environmental resources for sustenance, sciences and development. The sustainability of the environment and ecological integrity has to be emphasised if the present development in technology and sciences would leave natural capital to the future generations. It is in the context of ecological integrity, restoration of the human environment and human health that discussions on sustainability are anchored. The context of sustainability is taken to be the management of human use of the biosphere so that it may yield the greatest sustainable benefit to present generation while maintaining its potential to meet the needs and aspiration of future generations. This article focuses on ecological sustainability of petroleum resources utilisation in Nigeria. The question sought to be answered is whether the Nigerian ecosystems can be said to be sustainable with the current methods of petroleum resources utilisation in Nigeria? This article adopts doctrinal methodology with data drawn from laws relating to sustainability and ecology as well as articles relevant to this discourse. It was found that the management of petroleum resources in Nigeria is not indicative of a planned sustainable ecosystem worthy to be bequeathed to the future generation. The article recommends urgent ecological and environmental management actions suitable for a biosphere which meet needs of present generation and not impair the potential for uses of same ecological resources by future generations.