ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION IN NIGERIA; A RESTORATION APPROACH IN THE PHILOSOPHY OF ROBERT FRODEMAN

Humankind’s quest for the control of nature has led to the waging of unwinnable wars over natural forces and manifestations. Nigeria is challenged by some environmental problems just like other parts of the world and the consequences are alarming as damages done to the environment have become evidently noticeable. Nigeria has a total land area of 983,213 square kilometers occupied by about 120 Million people and the interaction of these millions of people with the environment has left an indelible mark on the landscape. Some of the environmental challenges facing Nigeria are: high rate of urbanization, deforestation, over population, desertification and pollution of air, water and land, and all these forms of degradation affects the over-all health and socio-economic well-being of the people in Nigeria. The study examines environmental degradation in Nigeria and the implications on the health of the people with the view of making possible recommendations for a healthy environment which will foster sustainable long-term development in the country. It also examines Robert Frodeman’s environmental ethics and the concept of a healthy environment as a theoretical restoration approach to the environmental challenges facing the country. The study employs the expository, analytic and normative method.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE - - - - -------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - - i

DECLARATION - - - ----------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - - ii

APPROVAL - - - - - - - --------------------------------------------------------------- - - iii

DEDICATION - - - - - - ------------------------------------------------------------- - - - iv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS - - ----------------------------------------------------- - - - - - v

TABLE OF CONTENTS - - ----------------------------------------------------- - - - - - - vi

ABSTRACT - - --------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - - - viii

CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY - - - - ------------------------------------------ - - 1

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM - - ----------------------------------------- - - - - 3

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY- - - -------------------------------------------- - - - - 4

1.4 JUSTIFICATION OF THE STUDY - - - - - ------------------------------------------- 5

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY - ------------------------------------------ - - - - - 6

1.6 METHOD OF THE STUDY- - - - ---------------------------------------------------- 6

1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY- ------------------------------------------------ - - - - - - - 7

1.8 ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY - -------------------------------------- - - - - - - 7

CHAPTER TWO

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE -------------------------------------------------- - 9

CHAPTER THREE

AN EXPOSITION OF ROBERT FRODEMAN’S ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS AND THE CONCEPT OF A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT

3.1 A BRIEF PROFILE OF ROBERT FRODEMAN- ------------------------------ - - - - 26

3.2 ENVIRONMENTAL PHILOSOPHY AS A DISCIPLINE ------------------------ - - - 28

3.3 FRODEMAN’S ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS- - - ------------------------------- - - 29

3.4 CONCEPT OF A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT- - - ----------------------------- --- 32

3.5 RESUME - - - - - - - ---------------------------------------------------------- - - 36

CHAPTER FOUR

ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION IN NIGERIA

4.1 ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES IN NIGERIA - - ----------------------------- - 38

4.1.1 Environmental Pollution- - ------------------------------------------- - - - - - 40

4.1.2 Deforestation- - - - - - - --------------------------------------------------- - - 42

4.1.3 Over-Population- - - --------------------------------------------------- - - - - 43

4.1.4 Urbanization- - - - - ---------------------------------------------------- - - - - 44

4.2 CAUSES OF ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION IN NIGERIA- --------------- - 45

4.3 EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION- - - ---------------------------47

4.4 GLOBAL WARMING- - - - ----------------------------------------------- - - - - 50

4.5 TOWARDS A RESTORATION APPROACH--- --------------------------- - - - - 51

4.6 RESUME - - - - --------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - 52

CHAPTER FIVE

EVALUATION AND CONCLUSION

5.1 EVALUATION- - - - --------------------------------------------------- - - - - - 54

5.2 CONCLUSION- -------------------------------------------------- - - - - - - - - 56

RECOMMENDATION - - ----------------------------------------------- - - - - - - 56

WORKS CITED - - - - ----------------------------------------------------- - - - - - 58