A human rights activist, Achike Chude, has called on the Nigerian government to enforce climate justice by holding polluting industries liable for their actions.
Chude made the call during the launch of a liability roadmap by Corporate Accountability and Participation Africa (CAPPA), its partners, and other civil society organisations (CSOs).
Development Diaries understands that activists had called on world leaders to hold liable the industries and corporations that have knowingly fueled and continue to worsen the climate crisis.
Chude, in his remark, said it was time the Nigerian government and other countries in Africa held polluters accountable for the devastation their extractive activities have caused the environment.
The liability roadmap, which contains guidelines and principles for climate justice, seeks to hold polluting industries liable and ensure that they pay for ecological damages often impacting the livelihoods of front-line communities.
Executive Director of CAPPA, Akinbode Oluwafemi, said that corporate organisations will be required to pay for the damages intentionally caused to communities across Africa, according to the guidelines.
He said, ‘For decades, these transnational corporations have misled people across Africa about the consequences of their products and business practices, exploited our communities, seized our lands and resources, manipulated any regulatory measures in place, and taken control of our food systems, all for their benefit.
‘They have left us exposed and ill-equipped for the multiple crises we now face’.
On her part, the Associate Director at CAPPA, Aderonke Ige, said that a combination of legislation and litigation should be employed in holding offenders liable, while the Regional Director, Corporate Accountability Climate Campaign (CACC), Hallen Naima, explained that liability presents a great avenue for affected communities to demand justice.
Some CSOs in Africa recently joined their counterparts in other parts of the world to demand that their governments hold big polluters accountable for the devastation their extractive activities have caused the environment.
Source: CAPPA
Photo source: Christina Cartre
