The Niger Delta region, being the crude oil bearing region of Nigeria, has witnessed an unprecedented spate of violent conflicts in the recent past, and all efforts to suppress these conflicts seem to have failed to produce the desired results. This study examines the need to mainstream five interconnected international human rights norms and principles into development planning and decision making in the oil and gas sector to prevent violent conflicts. These human rights norms are as follows: Participation, Accountability, Non-discrimination and equality, Empowerment and Legality (the PANEL principles). The PANEL principles make procedural or environmental justice a reality and constitute a pivotal determinant of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) outcome. These principles are basedanning, determination on the part of all stakeholders as well as highly skilled facilitators. This research examined alternative legislative and institutional reforms to conflict prevention and management in the oil and gas producing communities in Nigeria.