Petroleum Operations, Environmental Regulations and Protection of Rights and Interests of Indigenous Communities in Angola and Nigeria

There are many layers to the debate on the environmental impacts of petroleum operations and the economic, political, and social consequences of poor administrative (and financial) management, and the lack of transparency in the petroleum sectors of many developing countries today. This research delves deeper into the egulatory aspect of the debate, and the recent international and governmental efforts towards minimising (or avoiding) the impacts of petroleum activities on the economic, social, and cultural existence of indigenous communities in Angola and Nigeria—through international instruments, national legislations, and corporate regulations, respectively. It determines the sufficiency of the petroleum regimes of both states under the provisions of international law for protection of rights and interests of indigenous peoples/communities. The research intends to establish practicable government-corporate towards efficient sustainable development initiatives that acknowledge correlation between economic development and environmental protection, and take account of the impacts of petroleum operations on the environment and the effects of petroleum operations on the economic, social, and cultural existence of the indigenous communities of Angola and Nigeria who own the native lands upon which the operations were carried out in accordance with their traditional ways of land ownership before the first European contacts.