EcoJustice Africa Established to Bring Violators of Environmental Laws to Book

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

In order to end the prolonged environmental crimes in Nigeria and the rest of Africa, the Green Growth Africa has established EcoJustice Africa to bring violators of environmental laws and standards to book.
The rise of environmental crimes across Africa, and its catastrophic consequences on our socio-economic prosperity and natural ecosystems has become of great concern.

Speaking at a pre-launch press conference of EcoJustice Africa, Dr. Adedoyin Adeleke, the Executive Director of Green Growth Africa, a leading United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP)-accredited NGO committed to the innovation, development and implementation of ‘greened’ socio-economic development solutions to address Africa’s development challenges, quoting UNEP said: “Environmental crimes have emerged as the world’s fourth largest form of organised crime, trailing only drug trafficking, counterfeiting, and human trafficking,
He lamented that: “As a continent, Africa is blessed with rich biodiversity and natural resources: a quarter of the world’s mammal species, one-fifth of the world’s bird species, and one-sixth of the world’s remaining forests call Africa home.

“Sadly, out abundant biodiversity coupled with endemic poverty, weak regulatory frameworks, and low risks of detection and conviction makes Africa a prime target for illegal mining, wildlife trafficking, illegal logging, hazardous waste dumping, and other environmental violations.”
He noted that: “These violations are concentrated in remote and marginalised communities, areas often beyond the reach of conventional security, government, and even media.

“While these crimes are properly called “crimes against the environment”, in reality, they can be described as “crimes against humanity” given their far-reaching economic and social implications.”
He further regretted that every year, environmental crimes cost Africa about $195 billion, noting that: “in context, that is more than 10 times of Nigeria’s total budget for 2024. For the over 70 per cent of people living in sub-Saharan Africa who depend on forests and woodlands for their food and livelihoods, environmental crimes threaten their food security, jobs, and incomes.

“These illicit activities not only devastate ecosystems and the lives of millions of Africans dependent on ecosystem services but also fuel corruption, promote money laundering, and weaken the rule of law. As such, developing African economies lose billions in potential revenues and development opportunities, while a small group of criminals reaps the profits – leading to the quandary which in Nigerian parlance may be described as “monkey dey work, baboon dey chop.”

He added that: “Beyond the immediate potential socio-economic impacts of environmental crimes and violations, such human activities negatively affect natural ecosystems, leading to environment-related calamities that are entirely preventable.

“For instance, droughts – one of the most common “disasters” in Africa – can be linked to illegal logging and deforestation. While we often mischaracterise such events as ‘natural disasters,’ the truth is that they are not natural at all.

“Terming and referring to them as natural disasters posit that they happen naturally, that there is nothing we did to cause them and there is nothing we can do to prevent them. But is that really true?

“No! Nature is balanced from creation, disasters of such form for which we suffer significant social, economic and environmental losses are caused by humanity’s upset of the natural ecosystem. Hence, we say: “there are no natural disasters, rather, nature-based disasters.”

He noted that EcoJustice Africa is here to bring solution to the many environmental challenges, introducing a citizen-driven, tech-enabled initiative designed to combat environmental crimes and empower communities to exercise their “right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment”.

He revealed that EcoJustice Africa combines seven solution pillars to stem environmental crimes and promote environmental justice in Africa: Citizen Empowerment, Digital Innovation, Data Verification, Stakeholder Engagement, Evidence-based Advocacy, Data-Driven Policy Engagement and Strategic Litigation.

To employ a people-centred approach, empower citizens as environmental activists, facilitate inclusivity and equitable access to the media; Green Growth Africa developed the groundbreaking digital innovation.”

He said: “The devastating consequences of environmental crimes extend far beyond the environment – they disrupt the lives of millions of Africans, threaten food security, and jeopardize the socio-economic development of our beloved continent.

“Urgent, coordinated action is needed to combat these crimes and protect Africa’s future. EcoJustice Africa stands at the forefront of this action. By empowering citizens with digital tools to expose environmental crimes, we amplify their voices and shine a light on injustices that often go unnoticed.

“Our approach ensures that decision-makers have access to accurate, timely data to deliver targeted policy interventions, hold perpetrators accountable, and foster systemic change. Through EcoJustice Africa, we are building a movement to reclaim our collective right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment.

“We cannot do this alone. To governments, we call on you to prioritise policies and frameworks that protect our biodiversity and ecosystems from illicit activities and strengthen regulatory capacity to curtail environmental violations.

“To civil society organisations, join us in amplifying community voices and driving grassroots action. To the private sector, partner with us to sustain and expand EcoJustice Africa’s impact.

“To the media, we invite you to collaborate with us in amplifying the fight against environmental crimes by using your platforms to spotlight these issues and raise awareness about their far-reaching consequences.

“Together, we can combat environmental crimes, restore dignity to those whose livelihoods depend on Africa’s natural resources, and create a just, equitable, and prosperous Africa.”