TITLE:
Transparency: A Tool for Effective Environmental Governance in Nigeria
AUTHORS:
Saheed Matemilola, Isa Elegbede
KEYWORDS:
Transparency, Corruption, Regulation, Civil Society, Environmental Governance, Consultation
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.4 No.12,
December
22,
2017
ABSTRACT: In the recent past, there have been calls for transparency in governance from different quarters. These calls testify to the importance of transparency to the overall social welfare. There is virtually no aspect of contemporary life that is unaffected by the system of governance, but governance today is almost entirely devoid of transparency. Transparency mechanisms encourage public officials to act in the interest of the public. Corruption has real political, economic, and social costs and as researched in Columbia University and analyzed by Transparency international, perhaps the more expensive cost is the environmental damage which often suffer either direct or indirect from bribery, extortion, unfair policies, and other forms of corruption. Thus, it has been widely acknowledged that increased transparency and public participation significantly enhance the quality of decisions impacting the environment. These findings offer an intervention avenue in the shape of conservation, preservation, and environmental justice—through the tool of transparency. Resurgent interest in the evaluation of development implications on the environment is not usually accompanied by the requisite transparency to address longstanding effectiveness problems. In order to sharpen the effectiveness, this paper examines the transparency instruments of environmental governance. Analytical examples are used to explore the nature and significance of transparency in environmental policy making and implementation. This paper will heighten the discursive consciousness of the transparency instrument which in itself will catalyze the journey to effectiveness.