Nigeria’s Minister of State for Environment, Dr. Iziaq Salako, has announced that from January to September 2024, the country has registered Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIA) for 300 projects.
Dr. Salako made this statement during the Lagos State Sustainability Summit, held in southwest Nigeria, under the theme ‘Building a Thriving and Sustainable Lagos.’
‘From January 2024 till date, over 300 project’s ESIA from various sectors such as oil and gas, infrastructure, mining, manufacturing, renewable energy and agriculture, has been registered and are various stages in the ESIA process,’ he stated.
Dr. Salako pointed out that the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment, ESIA, is a mandate the federal government is taking because of the importance it holds for ensuring sustainability.
‘Let me use this opportunity to reiterate that the EIA act CAP E12 Law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004 made EIA mandatory for both public and private sectors for all development projects to ensure p
rotection of natural resources and ecosystems, promote sustainable use of resources, control pollution and mitigate climate change effects,’ he said.
‘Blocking loopholes’
The Minister further stressed that the Federal Ministry of Environment was already approaching the Federal Executive Council to block identified loopholes that people may want to exploit to escape the full scale of impact assessment.
‘The Environmental and Social Impact Assessment which we have mandate over is the entry point for mainstreaming environmental sustainability into developmental projects and ensuring that we develop in harmony with nature.
‘Through ESIA, the Federal Government is able to ensure that benefits of developmental projects are maximised while providing measures to mitigate the negative consequences of such project,’ he said.
‘Sustainable use of natural resources’
The minister emphasised that the Nigerian government is determined to deliver on its mandate of promoting sustainable use of natural resources and resto
ring and maintaining the ecosystem.
Dr. Salako said that the government would continue to maintain ecological processes and to preserve biodiversity using a multi-sectoral, multi-stakeholder approach across government and society.
He pointed out that the summit was a pivotal moment in Lagos State’s journey towards a sustainable and resilient future.
‘Long-term prosperity’
He said the summit would provide policymakers, entrepreneurs and environmentalists the opportunity to deliberate and proffer solutions to secure and sustain long-term prosperity in Lagos through diversity of perspectives and expertise.
Also Read: Expert Calls For Enforcement Of Environmental Impact Assessment Act
‘Lagos, as the economic and commercial capital of Nigeria, the most densely populated, unarguably the most diverse state in our country and the barometer for which the international community often gauge Nigeria, can easily percolate best practices to other parts of the country.
‘The Federal Ministry of Environment is therefo
re excited to be part of this summit and hope that it will springboard sustainability and resilience across the country, I congratulate the organisers of this commendable initiative and look forward to a conscientious implementation of all its recommendations,’ he explained.
‘Innovative and frontal attention’
The Minister said that Lagos required innovative and frontal attention from all stakeholders, including the federal government of Nigeria, due to its higher level of environmental sustainability challenges.
‘The Federal Ministry of Environment strongly believes that our climate and environmental agendas are not likely to succeed if we fail in Lagos.
‘The challenges of coastal erosion, solid waste management, air pollution, flooding, over-exploitation, industrial emission, noise pollution and so which are generally more in Lagos than the national average must therefore be tackled head on for us to built a sustainable and resilient Lagos,’ he said.
‘8 presidential priorities’
According to the Ministe
r, Sustainable Development is at the core of the 8 presidential priorities and a recurrent theme of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.’
‘This summit is not just a dialogue but a spring board for decisive actions that will shape the future of Lagos, which in the long run will translate into a prosperous, equitable and environmentally sound Nigeria. Let us use this opportunity to exchange ideas, share best practices, and inspire one another to action.’ Dr Salako added.
Source: Voice of Nigeria