PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT (EIA): A CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This paper aims at analyzing public participation in Environmental Impact Assessment. It x-rayed the various objectives of public participation in EIA, the prospects and challenges of public participation with a view to making worthwhile recommendation necessary for better public participation in the EIA process. The paper argue that greater attention to public participation during the EIA process leads to better environmental assessment, and thus to the formulation of projects that deliver more social benefits, fewer environmental costs and greater economic and financial benefits. It however opined that such participation should be early in other to tap the knowledge of the general public thereby generating additional benefits to the investor in terms of cutting costs, reducing risks and preserving good reputation within the affected community.