batch-1791614216 1791614216 Global Insights Law Journal publisher@gilawjournal.com Global Insights Law Journal Global Insights Law Journal 3141-5717 2026 1 3 Chikanma Aleru Marine biodiversity underpins ecological stability, food security and the maritime trade on which national economies depend. Nigeria's marine and coastal endowment, particularly in the Niger Delta, faces acute pressure from oil pollution, overfishing, destructive fishing, unplanned urbanisation and the dumping of waste. Adopting a doctrinal methodology, this article examines the legal and regulatory framework for the protection of marine biodiversity in Nigeria and assesses how effectively it is implemented. It reviews the constitutional, statutory, regional and international instruments that bind Nigeria and the regulatory techniques they deploy (licensing, prohibition, sanction, punishment and quotas), with comparative lessons from the United States and the United Kingdom. The article finds that Nigeria does not lack law or institutions; it lacks effective enforcement. Penalties are in several instances negligible, or inverted in proportion to the harm caused; no statutory quota system exists; no marine protected area has been designated; technical capacity and inter-agency coordination are weak; and public awareness is low. The article recommends law reform with deterrent penalties, a statutory quota regime modelled on United States sanctuary regulation, the designation of marine protected areas, institutional capacity building, public education, and deeper regional and private-sector partnership. 2026 10 5 10.67588/0004 https://gilawjournal.com/article/the-legal-protection-and-conservation-of-marine-biodiversity-for-a-sustainable-future-in-nigeria Environment Environmental law Marine Biodiversity; Marine Protected Areas; Blue Economy; Sustainability; Sustainable Development.