Nigeria River Ethiope Rights Act

Summary

In 2019, the River Ethiope Trust Foundation (RETFON) and the Earth Law Center created the River Ethiope Rights Act – a draft law to grant legal rights to the River Ethiope in Nigeria. These rights include: the right to flow unimpeded, maintain its natural biodiversity, protection from pollution, restoration when harmed, the right to be heard in court, and the appointment of guardians to enforce its rights. The law would also prioritize the rights and interests of local communities, who rely on these waterways for their wellbeing and who consider the river sacred.

As of 2024, the law is under active consideration by Nigeria’s Delta State House Assembly. Irikefe V. Dafe – environmental advocate and the Africa Lead for the Earth Law Center – is mobilizing key stakeholders to support its passage after successfully shepherding the bill through its initial readings. If passed, the act would make the River Ethiope the first African river to be recognized as a living entity with legal rights – a groundbreaking opportunity to set a precedent for Nigeria and the entire continent.

Irikefe V. Dafe established the River Ethiope Trust Foundation (RETFON) in 1992 in efforts to address significant wetlands and ecosystem degradation, industrial pollution, and algal blooms along the River Ethiope in the Delta State of Nigeria. Since its founding, RETFON has worked to promote the balance of human rights and the Rights of Nature along the River Ethiope, leading campaigns that urge the Nigerian government to enforce existing environmental laws. Since 2019, the River Ethiope Campaign has significantly increased protections for the river’s ecosystem, and has provided a steady path for the adoption of the river’s rights in Nigerian law.