A JURISPRUDENTIAL STUDY OF HUMAN RIGHTS LAW IN ADDRESSING THE VICIOUS CYCLE OF POVERTY, ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION AND SOCIO ECONOMIC INEQUALITIES

Abstract

The study conducts a jurisprudential analysis of International Human Rights Law (IHRL) to access its capacity to effectively address the mutual reinforcing cycle of poverty, environmental degradation and the persistent socio-economic inequalities in Nigeria. Wherein environmental damage disproportionately impacts impoverished communities, thereby amplifying existing inequalities and deepening deprivation. Therefore, the study aims to address the vicious cycle of poverty, environmental degradation and socio-economic inequalities, a crucial challenge at the intersection of international law and global sustainable development. The methodology involves examining the key legal provisions such as the UDHR, ICESCR, Chapter 2 of the 1999 CFRN and The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency Act (NESREA), 2007 etc. Findings suggest that while IHRL provides a vocabulary of contestation for civil society and advocacy groups, its efficacy is highly dependent on national political will, judicial capability and independence and the capacity of national mechanisms to deliver and enforce binding judgments. Ultimately, the study concludes that overcoming enforcement challenges requires shifting the remedial justice to distributive and preventive justice. The study thereby advocates for strengthening accountability mechanisms, promoting greater judicial review at the domestic level and developing stronger collective sanctions to bridge the gap between aspirations and reality in the protection of fundamental human rights.