Addressing Community-Centred Environmental Health Governance in Marginalized Regions in Nigeria

Community-driven governance on environmental health is imperative in addressing health inequalities in Nigeria's underprivileged regions. Such regions have been plagued by hydrocarbon pollution, lack of industry, and non-uniform policy enforcement practices that have created divisions within society and jeopardized its health resilience. This research seeks to examine the perception of the community concerning CSR activities and find an effective participatory governance model in accordance with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. For this purpose, a systematic doctrinal review was carried out, whereby peer-reviewed papers and policies were identified through databases such as PubMed and Scopus following the PRISMA guidelines. It has been revealed that although ethical behaviour and environmental responsibility are important legitimacy indicators, current governance is characterised by its top-down and non-participatory nature, resulting in inefficiencies in the implementation process. Based on the results obtained, it can be concluded that the establishment of community-based governance is crucial to overcoming existing deficiencies. Therefore, it is suggested that authorities in Nigeria should enforce participatory communication and design processes to promote culturally sensitive interventions.