Nigeria is a nation rich in natural and human resources, but it is also inundated by acute environmental degradation, which affects its marginalized communities. This has sparked a strong need for environmental advocacy, justice, and awareness, with music serving as a veritable mechanism for the actualization of this quest. This paper investigates the relationship between environmental justice, music, and law in Nigeria. It explores how artists, like Fela Kuti of the late 1990s to the more contemporary Burna Boy, have utilized music in environmental advocacy, especially in the degraded oil rich Niger Delta. The paper examines the already existing legal framework, both domestic and international, that ought to protect these musical advocates. It contends that, although the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) provides for the protection of certain fundamental rights, particularly the right to freedom of expression, and the existence of other specific environmental laws, there is a monumental gap between de jure protections in theory and de facto reality. Findings reveal that the gap is a result of weak enforcement and lack of political will, state-corporate collusion, corruption, and a history of political oppression. In conclusion, the paper recommends strengthened legal institutions to ensure that the voices advocating for environmental justice are not muted but amplified and protected.
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