Meteorological Revolution and Environmental Issues on Resource Conservation: The Place of the Nigerian State
Keywords:
Meteorological Revolution, Environmental Governance, Resource Conservation, Sustainability, VulnerabilityAbstract
The revolution in meteorology, marked by rising climate change and growing weather variability, has heightened pressure on the environment worldwide, with the direst consequences affecting developing countries such as Nigeria. This paper critically examines the link between changes in meteorology and environmental deterioration, offering a detailed look at resource conservation and the Nigerian state's role. Nigeria’s structural reliance on climate-dependent sectors, including rain-fed agriculture and fossil fuel exports, greatly increases its vulnerability to climate-related risks such as desertification, flooding, coastal erosion, and ecosystem degradation. The research design uses qualitative methods, relying on secondary sources such as policy papers, academic literature, and institutional reports, and is grounded in political ecology and sustainable development theories. To assess the success of regulatory measures in Nigeria, it is found that, despite the country having put in place regulatory frameworks, such as the Climate Change Act and the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), the status of environmental governance remains limited by a lack of institutional capacity, uneven implementation of policies, and continued economic dependence on oil revenues. Moreover, recent policy changes (2023-2025), including the establishment of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting standards and low-carbon development policies, are positive but have not yet yielded meaningful environmental results. The research finds that sustainable resource conservation in Nigeria is possible only through stronger institutional structures, economic deregulation through diversification away from fossil fuels, and community-based environmental stewardship. Based on these findings, the study recommends that the state strengthen institutional frameworks by improving the capacity and independence of regulatory agencies.
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