A report titled Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence in Nigeria, HREDD (Policy Brief) put together and released by Global Rights Nigeria and Africa Coalition for Corporate Accountability, ACCA, has said that millions of Nigerians die annually due to toxins released into the environment and abuse of human rights by companies. This was made known during a one-day workshop/training for journalists tagged ‘Capacity Building Session on the Policy Brief on HREDD in Nigeria, held in Abuja. According to the Executive Director, Global Rights Nigeria, Abiodun Baiyewu, in a welcome remark, said host communities in the oil and gas, mining, and agricultural sectors are mostly affected by the operations of companies, and this had led to air and water pollution, poor safety standards, infringements on labour rights, land degradation, gender based violence, insecurity, exploitation, and others.
The HREDD Policy Brief tracked and traced pollution and other negative spill over effects of companies operating coal fired power plants, mines, smelters, oil and gas operations, steel plants, garbage dumps, factory farms and aquaculture operations, and others. She said “business activities are essential to economic development; however, business host communities often bear the brunt of the negative spill over of these activities, including a significant number of human rights abuses manifest in environmental pollution, poor safety standards, labour rights infringements, land grabbing, gender discrimination, security infringements, and others.
“While businesses may initially prosper within this context, they often become unsustainable and run the risk of failure in the long run. In order to enhance national economic growth and development, there is a need to implement a strong legal regulatory framework.” She further said that, “An essential element of this framework is engendering a conducive environment for business development while at the same time ensuring that businesses do not negatively impact the rights of their host communities, staff, and consumers. The United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, UNGP, offers a tenable framework and was unanimously endorsed by the United Nations Human Rights Council, UNHRC, in 2011 to address the negative impacts of business.
“One of its critical tenets is the importance of Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence, HREDD.” She added that, “The lack of effective implementation of extant laws, policies, and guidelines is further compounded by a number of factors, such as opacity in companies’ operations, intra- communal disputes in the host communities, and inadequate stakeholder engagement.” Meanwhile, according to her (Baiyewu) most of the companies make claims of carrying out their obligations in the protection and promotion of human rights but are “mere whitewashing and greenwashing aimed at enhancing their public profile.”
However, as a counsel and recommendation by the report, she said, “Protecting human rights and environmental safeguards require the active engagement of companies, regulatory bodies, civil society organisations, and host communities working together towards more effective implementation of laws and policies, increased transparency, and meaningful stakeholder engagement.” The HREDD recommendations include; Legal Reforms; Capacity Building; Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration; Incentives for Compliance; and Technology Use. She also expressed optimism that the policy brief affirms that HREDD framework holds the potential to boost national efforts to tackle knots and risks of human and environmental rights abuses by most company operations. HREDD policy insists on the implementation of the National Action Plan on business and human rights by the government agencies, nongovernmental stakeholders, and businesses to ensure that HREDD is manifestly operated in Nigeria.
Toxic substances, human rights abuse by companies kill millions of Nigerians annually—Report
