Assessment of the Effectiveness of International Agreements in Addressing Marine Plastic Pollution: A Review of the NESREA Act (2007)
Marine plastic pollution has rapidly escalated into a pressing global environmental crisis, with approximately 11 million metric tons of plastic waste entering the oceans each year. This escalating pollution poses severe threats to marine biodiversity, coastal ecosystems, human health, and economic activities such as fisheries and tourism. Nigeria, ranked among the top 10 global contributors to marine plastic waste, is grappling with substantial institutional, legal, and infrastructural challenges in addressing this issue. This paper critically examines the effectiveness of international environmental agreements in combating marine plastic pollution, with a particular emphasis on Nigerias implementation of domestic legislation, notably the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) Act 2007. Employing a doctrinal legal research method, the study analyzes international frameworks including the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal (as amended to include plastic waste), the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) Annex V, and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Global Partnership on Marine Litter (GPML). The findings highlight critical weaknesses in Nigerias environmental governance system, including poor alignment of the NESREA Act with evolving international standards, ineffective enforcement and monitoring, overlapping agency mandates, and a lack of structured public engagement and education on plastic waste management. The paper concludes with a call for comprehensive legislative reform, enhanced institutional capacity, and stronger regional and international collaboration. These measures are essential to developing an integrated and enforceable marine plastic governance framework that aligns with global best practices and protects Nigerias marine environments.
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