By Etop Ekanem

One of Nigeria’s brilliant environmental advocates and legal practitioner,  Olivia Ihemeson, has 

announced the release of her new book, “Environmental Laws and Sustainable Development in Niger Delta, Nigeria” published by international publishing outfit, Lambert Academic Publishing. 

In a release, Ihemeson said her inspiration came from a desire about three years ago to raise global awareness of unlawful activities in Niger Delta such as acute soil and water pollution, indiscriminate felling of trees, bush burning among others, which take place in the region.

Giving insight into her new work, she noted that the book vividly describes the Niger Delta environment, the negative impact of exploitation of its natural resources, and the role of environmental laws in creating sustainable development in the region.

She said: “The major themes in the book include, international and domestic environmental laws, agencies for implementing environmental laws in Nigeria, sustainable development, contending issues in the Niger Delta region, and the challenges and roadmap for the application of environmental laws.” 

Ihemeson stated further that the themes were thoughtfully selected based on current issues, such as environmental degradation, youth restiveness, and other illicit activities proliferating in the region.

The environmental advocate and author said the new book, which has 10 chapters, is relevant to all segments of society due to the interdependence between humans and the environment. 

“Man, as a product of the environment, needs to be sensitised on the usefulness of the environment and the urgent need to protect it for sustainability,” she added. 

The book, she says, is currently available on “More Books,”an international online book store and due to be in Nigeria soon.