From Sacred Repair to Ecological Renewal: Interpreting תיקון עולם (Tikkun Olam) Within the Nigerian Experience of Land Degradation

Nigeria is confronted with acute environmental degradation, evident in desertification and deforestation in the Sahelian north and persistent oil pollution and industrial contamination in the Niger Delta. Despite existing environmental policies, weak enforcement and governance failures continue to undermine meaningful ecological restoration. This study argues that beyond regulatory shortcomings lies a deeper ethical deficit—the absence of a theological framework that integrates environmental restoration with social justice. The study engages the Jewish concept of tikkun olam (“repairing the world”), rooted in biblical notions of justice (mishpat) and righteousness (tzedakah) (Lev. 19:15; Amos 5:24), as a holistic moral vision for restoring both ecological integrity and social balance. Theoretically, the study is grounded in a normative eco-theological framework that brings tikkun olam into dialogue with African Christian eco-theology, particularly themes of land ethics, stewardship, and restorative justice. This framework interprets environmental degradation as a moral and ecological disorder requiring ethical repair alongside physical restoration. The study pursues three objectives: to trace the biblical, rabbinic, and mystical foundations of tikkun olam; to assess its ethical principles in conversation with African Christian eco-theology; and to apply these insights to selected Nigerian cases of land degradation. Methodologically, the research employs qualitative textual analysis of biblical, rabbinic, and African theological sources, complemented by a critical review of environmental policies and case-based ecological data. The findings reveal significant convergence between tikkun olam and African Christian land ethics, especially in their shared emphasis on justice, stewardship, and restorative action. The study concludes that integrating tikkun olam with African Christian eco-ethics offers a viable moral–theological framework for sustainable environmental restoration in Nigeria.