Legal Recognition and Policy Integration on Informal Urbanism and Environmental Governance in Nigeria

Abstract

The phenomenon of rapid urbanization in Nigeria has led to the emergence of informal settlements and informal urban activities. There is a clear gap between the socio-economic significance of informal urbanism and its recognition by existing legal and policy instruments for environmental governance. This paper explores how much Uganda’s environmental governance system recognizes and integrates informal urbanism. Specifically, it aims at analyzing existing laws and policies, identify gaps in governance, and consider the implications of exclusionary urban governance on environmental sustainability and social inclusivity. This study utilizes a doctrinal approach involving an in-depth qualitative analysis of statutes, policies, judicial decisions, scholarly literature, and international environmental laws and conventions. It is found that inadequate institutional cooperation, ineffective implementation, and poor public participation constitute obstacles to efficient environmental governance in informal urban areas. Consequently, this paper argues that for the sustainable development of urban areas in Uganda, legal reform must be conducted taking into account informal urban communities as key actors in environmental governance.