International Law and Water Rights: The Legal Dimensions of the Lake Chad Crisis for Nigeria

This research examines the legal dimensions of the Lake Chad environmental crisis from the perspective of international water law, focusing on the implications for Nigerian communities in the North East geopolitical zone that depend on the lake for their livelihoods and sustenance. Lake Chad has shrunk by approximately ninety percent over the past five decades due to a combination of climate change, population growth, and agricultural water diversion, creating a humanitarian and ecological crisis that affects millions of people across Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon. The study employs a descriptive doctrinal methodology, drawing on the UN Watercourses Convention (1997), the Helsinki Rules on the Uses of the Waters of International Rivers, and the Lake Chad Basin Commission's legal framework to assess the applicable international water law standards. It examines Nigeria's obligations as a member of the Lake Chad Basin Commission regarding sustainable water use, ecosystem protection, and cooperation with neighbouring states. The paper also analyses the intersection of water scarcity with conflict, noting how competition over diminishing lake resources has contributed to intercommunal violence in Borno and Yobe States. Findings indicate that the Lake Chad Basin Commission's legal framework lacks adequate enforcement mechanisms, and that Nigeria's domestic water governance institutions have insufficient capacity to implement international commitments. Recommendations include strengthening the Lake Chad Basin Commission's legal authority, expanding international funding for the lake's replenishment, and integrating water rights into Nigeria's climate adaptation planning. Keywords: water law, Lake Chad, Lake Chad Basin Commission, North East Nigeria, climate change.