Professional Practice in Marine Environmental Impact Assessment: A Nigerian Perspective

Environmental impact assessment for marine and coastal projects in Nigeria is mandated under the Environmental Impact Assessment Act of 1992, yet professional practice in the marine domain exhibits significant inconsistency in methodology, quality assurance, and stakeholder engagement. This study evaluates the professional practice standards of marine environmental impact assessments submitted for approval to the Federal Ministry of Environment between 2018 and 2023, with particular focus on projects situated in the coastal and offshore environments of the South South and South West geopolitical zones. A content analysis framework is applied to review 30 selected environmental impact assessment reports, evaluating completeness of baseline oceanographic surveys, adequacy of impact prediction methodologies, quality of cumulative impact assessment, and depth of public participation documentation. Semi-structured interviews with 25 registered Environmental Impact Assessment practitioners and review officers from the Federal Ministry of Environment provide perspectives on systemic challenges. Comparative analysis benchmarks Nigerian practice against International Association for Impact Assessment and IFC Performance Standards requirements. Findings are expected to reveal systematic gaps in baseline oceanographic data collection, particularly for hydrodynamic modelling and sediment transport assessment, and superficial treatment of cumulative marine impacts. The study proposes a Marine Environmental Impact Assessment Technical Guidance Document for adoption by the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, alongside mandatory competency standards for marine environmental impact practitioners. Keywords: environmental impact assessment, marine environments, Nigeria, professional standards, cumulative impacts