Philosophical Perspectives on Environmental Sustainability in Nigeria

The import of the environment to mankind cannot be underrated, as it is the very structure around which life is built. As far back as the 6th century B.C., the early Greek philosophers had interested themselves with the nature of the environment and sought to find out its basic substance. For this reason, they were called physiologists and at other times, Natural Philosophers. They saw the environment as the foundation of human existence. Today, we can see the environment unleashing mayhem on man and development. Environmental sustainability is interwoven with development. Nigeria is plagued with a lot of environmental problems which are now threatening the socio-economic wellbeing of the nation as a result of neglect. The need to sustain our environment is of utmost importance to the existence of mankind and other forms of life. This paper holds that for environmental sustainability to be achieved, one would require training in Environmental Ethics.  Environmental Ethics is a branch of Philosophy, concerned with the ethical relationship among all components of the environment.  The paper therefore examined the causes of environmental deterioration in Nigeria and the role of Environmental Ethics in increasing the awareness that would protect the environment, for its sustainability. Keywords: Philosophy, Environment, Environmental Philosophy, Environmental Ethics, Sustainability and Environmental Sustainability