The Social and Economic Rights Action Center v. Nigeria
African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights
2001 WL 34034806 (Afr Comm HR 2001) Communication No. 155/96 (2001)
Facts
The Nigerian government (defendant), through the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), worked together with a foreign oil consortium to develop oil production in Ogoniland, an area in southern Nigeria populated by the ethnic-minority Ogoni people. The oil production development work resulted in soil, water, and air contamination, which damaged the Ogoni people’s health and living environment. Nigeria had refused to conduct, and refused to allow the Ogoni people to conduct, environmental or health studies prior to commencement of the development work. During the development work, Nigeria’s security forces razed several Ogoni homes and villages. The Social and Economic Rights Action Center (SERAC), a Nigeria-based nongovernmental organization (NGO), filed a communication with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Commission), arguing that Nigeria violated the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Charter) by failing to protect the Ogoni people’s right to health and right to a healthy environment.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning ()
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