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SERAP v Federal Republic of Nigeria ECW/CCJ/APP/08/09

Geographic relevance: Africa
Nigeria

Language: English

Data type: Legal citations

About this resource:

A decision of the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice.   The Plaintiff was a Nigerian NGO, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).  It sued the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the state–owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) (a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell) and other international oil companies.

SERAP’s claim related to violations of rights to adequate standard of living, including the right to food, to work, to health, to water, to life and human dignity, to a clean and healthy environment; and to economic and social development.  It claimed that these violations arose as a consequence of the impact of oil-related pollution and environmental damage on agriculture and fisheries, oil spills, and the state’s failure to enforce laws and regulations to protect the environment and prevent pollution.

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