The River Ethiopie may be the first waterway in Africa to be acknowledged as a living being.
River Ethiopie is distinctive among Nigeria’s rivers. It is the deepest inland canal in Africa and one of Nigeria’s most stunning bodies of water. In addition to being a hallowed location for many, the area is used by the locals for drinking water, bathing, fishing, medicine, and other non-lethal purposes.
The River Ethiope Trust Foundation (RETFON) and the Earth Law Center have started a project to provide legal rights for this unique river. If successful, the River Ethiopie would become the continent of Africa’s first body of water to be acknowledged as a living thing.
Rights to be free from pollution, rights to restoration, rights to natural biodiversity, and other rights are among those claimed for the River Ethiopie. In a court of law, The River would also be eligible to be heard as a party. And last, a guardian or guardians would be named to uphold its rights.
There are many rivers that have received this right but this one would be the first in Africa to receive legal rights.