Public Trust Doctrine : A Veritable Tool for Combating the Endangerment of Natural Resources by Private and Government Interests in Nigeria

Victims of environmental harm and other interested parties have tried several avenues for so long to make their voices heard. In jurisdictions where the main source of revenue is from natural resources, it is mostly the case that the interests of victims of environmental harm are sacrificed on the altar of revenue generation. The result is that the environment suffers along with those victims proximal to the degraded environment. This environmental harm can be attributable to the failure of the law and the state to define and promote public interest in natural resources matters and the complaint about the exploitation, exploration, use and wealth distribution of natural resources and its impact on the human and natural environment. These efforts have yielded varying degrees of success and failure. However, the increased awareness and the need to conserve and protect the environment from the effects of poor environmental decisions in the past have shown that more can be done to tackle the issue of private and government interests that jeopardise natural resources. Therefore, the emergence of Public Trust Doctrine (PTD) as a legal tool in Nigeria can promote environmental protection and preservation and enhance the progress of the quest for environmental justice because a properly implemented PTD framework can ensure that the actions of government and private actors regarding environmental matters are checked to guarantee that the interest of the public is protected