The Nation Newspaper

Category: Building & Properties

  • Plastics pollution heightens concerns over clean oceans

    Leaders and stakeholders have celebrated the World Ocean Day. The event drew concerns over the state of water bodies in the country, as they relate to pollution, especially of plastics. Nigeria is on the United Nations’ list of top 10 biggest plastic polluters. The day was a wake-up call for all to ensure the continued safety of the environment, reports MUYIWA LUCAS.

    IN this decade, more campaigns have been held on how to  make planet earth safe.

    Organisations, local and international, have more than ever galvanised support for the environment, especially in the wake of climate change.

    The World Oceans Day, which was celebrated last Friday, was a day nations made further commitment to healthy, thriving oceans and seas free from plastic pollution under the aegis of Clean Seas Campaign.

    The campaign, an initiative of the United Nations (UN) Environment, is considered the largest global compact for combatting marine litter, with commitments from 51 nations, covering 62 per cent of the world’s coastlines. No fewer than eight new countries joined the campaign.

    India – which also joined on June 5, the World Environment Day – promised to address plastic pollution upstream by banning single-use plastics by 2022. The country pledged to address the problem downstream, with its  coastal audit, developed in partnership with the campaign.

    Other countries, who pledged to step up their protection of the ocean and their coastlines include Argentina, Cote d’Ivoire, United Arab Emirates, Honduras, Guyana and Vanuatu.

    At a meeting with Minister of State for the Environment, Ibrahim Jibril, in Abuja, the Executive Director of the UN Environment, Erik Solheim, Nigeria officially joined the campaign.

    “There is now more momentum than ever before to beat plastic pollution and protect the oceans that we all share from the tide of disposable plastic,” Solheim said.

    He added that seeing so many countries joining the campaign meant that we were moving towards having many pollution-free oceans.

     

    Recycling plants

    According to Jubril, as part of Nigeria’s commitment to the campaign, the country is developing a national plastic waste recycling programme, as well as establishing plastic waste recycling plants across the country in partnership with state governments. At present, a total of eight plants have been completed and handed over to the states while 18 others are at various stages of completion.

    The Federal Government is also collaborating with state governments to establish plastic waste recycling plants under the community-based waste management programme in the ministry.

    “Two plants have been completed in Ilorin, Kwara State, one in Lokoja, Kogi State, while work on another is ongoing in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State. The plants are located at Bola Jari in Gombe State and Leda Jari in Kano State. The establishment of the plants would assist to turn waste to wealth and ensure the sustainability of the environment,” he explained.

    Solheim disclosed that the UN Environment would support Nigeria’s waste management initiatives aimed at reducing, reusing and recycling plastics. He expressed happiness over the way the private sector in the waste management sector organised itself to provide technical solutions for effective collection and recycling of bottles in the country.

     

    Ogoni land clean up

    The UN Environment boss, as part of initiatives of protecting the environment, urged the Federal Government to fast-track the clean-up of oil spill in Ogoni land. Solheim recalled that the UNEP report on Ogoni clean-up was launched by former President Olusegun Obasanjo-led administration, noting that people were interested to see physical development in the land. He regretted that had Nigeria showed commitment by contributing its own quota, the $1 billion counterpart fund set aside by the UN would have addressed the clean-up project.

    Jubril, however, noted that the Federal Government, oil companies and other relevant stakeholders in the oil sector had opened explorer account for the Ogoni clean-up project, assuring that from this week, the account would begin to get funded. He revealed that out of 400 contractors that bided for the project, 150 were pre-qualified.

     

    Groups take the lead

    To celebrate the day, an environmental group, “Let’s Do It Campaign” and the Junior Chamber International (JCI) Lagos Metropolitan, took to the initiative to clean up Elegushi beach, Lagos.

    Let’s Do It Nigeria Campaign Manager Mr Gafar Odubote, said the clean-up would cover plastic pollution in the waterways.

    “In collaboration with our partners, we are taking a stand against plastic pollution with a massive clean-up project at the Elegushi beach to commemorate the World Oceans Day. The Day is an opportunity to further emphasise the need to bring people’s attention to the increasing rate of plastic pollution in Nigeria both on the lands and beaches,’’ Odubote said.

    The Elegushi Beach Clean-up, he  said, was inspired by concerned members of the society who wanted to take action to reduce the amount of trash and plastic that enters the ocean. With 51 volunteers, Odubote explained, they were able to bag 107 wastes sorted into plastic bottles, glass bottles, rubber slippers, polythene nylons and food wastes.

    “There are many things we can do as individuals to reduce our plastic consumption. Individuals must control their consumption pattern, stop patronising single-use plastics and develop a positive attitude towards waste disposal,’’ he said. He called on the Federal Government to enact and enforce policies and regulations to quell plastic pollution in the waterways.

    Similarly, JCI Lagos Metropolitan President, Adeyanju Adeonipekun, said the cleanup was aimed at enlightening the people on the risks of an unclean ocean.

    “This Beach cleanup project at Elegushi is to enlighten the people on the risks of unclean oceans and its hazards to health. The World Oceans Day is a wakeup call for everyone in Nigeria to ensure their environment is clean and healthy. Our planet is dying gradually of wastes and as active citizens, the responsibility is on us to act fast to save the planet,’’ Adeonipekun told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

     

    Protection of marine lives

    Also, the Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research (NIOMR) called on Ngerians to do more to ensure safety of marine lives.

    Its Assistant Director, Dr Mabel Yarhere, who spoke at the institute’s clean up of the Alfa Beach and Up Cycle Training as aprt of activities to mark the day, said  there was the need to save aquatic lives because they were source of food for humans. The event was organised in partnership with the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC), Lagos, and FABE International Foundation.

    “Plastic prevents the dissolved oxygen that is supposed to penetrate the ocean and marine resources are affected. Plastic also affects our fisheries; when plastics enter the tracks of fishes, they die. The endangered species in our water, especially the turtles, are killed by plastics, and they are supposed to produce minerals into the ocean for fishes to reproduce. Plastics also affect the navigation of vessels in oceans and prevent the productivity of the oceans,” she said.

    Yarhere noted that the Sustainable Development Goal 14 is aimed at making marine productive. This, she said, would make the world to feed well and have oceans devoid of plastics that cause casinogene in the body.

     

    Global unity

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres said everybody should bd involved in the campaign and that they could contribute “from carrying your own water bottle, to volunteering for a local clean-up”.

    The UN chief reminded everyone of the major role the oceans have in their lives, as the lungs of the planet, providing most of the oxygen that we breathe.

    “The oceans make our blue planet unique in our solar system – and not just visually,” he said.

    He added that they help regulate “the global climate and are the ultimate source of the water that sustains all life on earth, from coral reefs to snow-covered mountains, from tropical rain forests to mighty rivers, and even deserts’’.

    “However, the ability of the oceans to provide their essential services is being threatened by climate change, pollution and unsustainable use,” he stressed.

    Plastic pollution alone is wreaking tremendous havoc on the marine resources of the world, he said, highlighting the problem of plastic pollution in particular.

    About 80 per cent of all pollution in the sea comes from land, including some eight million tonnes of plastic waste yearly.

    This has cost the lives of one million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals, while it causes eight billion dollars in damage annually to marine ecosystems.

    Guterres said pollution “chokes waterways, harms communities that depend on fishing and tourism, kills turtles and birds, whales and dolphins, and finds its way to the most remote areas of the planet and throughout the food chain on which we ultimately rely”.

     

     

  • Group urges govt to invest more in renewable energy

    The Co-ordinator, 350.Org, Lagos, Idowu Esuku, has urged the Federal Government to invest more in alternative energy as fossil fuels and coal mining are increasingly becoming unsustainable for our environment.

    Esuku spoke at a Peaceful Street Walk organised by 350 Nigeria to commemorate the Decolonised Nigeria Campaign in Lagos.

    The rally started at Opebi Allen Roundabout and ended at the Lagos State House of Assembly. The participants walked, dancing and chanting “break free from fossil fuel and embrace renewable energy in Nigeria.”

    Esuku said many countries are moving from fossil energy to hydro, wind and solar as their source of energy because they are environment friendly and sustainable for the environment.

    He said climate change is a global phenomenon, which affects all the countries of the world. It is a threat to human, animals, and plant existence.

    He noted that Nigeria is still struggling with the effect of climate change. Many research and statistics have shown that the effect of global warming in Nigeria. Coal mining is a big threat to the environment.

    He attributed the increasing cases of life threatening diseases to the use of fossil fuel as people, especially in local areas in the Niger Delta bear the burden associated with fossil fuels exploration with no respite coming soon.

    Sadly, he stressed that Nigeria is spending billions of naira to cushion the effect of the challenges facing the energy sector, but that has only made little difference in the amount of energy supply in many areas in Nigeria.

    He posited that instead of financing projects that would produce profoundly negative environmental impact, the government should consider projects that tap into Nigeria’s numerous renewable and low-cost resources.

    He was of the opinion that the Federal Government has a moral obligation to leave behind a well-off earth for our children. The land, oceans, forest reserve  and arctic are all commonwealth owners by mankind.

    “We demand our local leaders to commit to building a fossil free world and put the people and justice first before profits. We want to end the era of fossil fuel and save the climate we depend on,” he said.

     

  • Arepo community to raise N150m for road repair

    Arepo Central Community Development Association (ACCDA), in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State, has launched its newly constructed gate road and N150million for the repair of its access road. 
    OLATUNDE ODEBIYI writes.

    Having waited endlessly for the Ogun State government to come to their aid over the repair of the community’s main access road, residents of Arepo Central Community Development Association (ACCDA) in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State have resorted to self-help.

    They have decided to levy each landlord in the community N100,000 to enable them raise N150million to fix the road.

    Some of the residents have already been paying, which has enabled the ACCDA to fix the road on the community’s main gate.

    On June 9, residents gathered at the main gate for the inuaguration of the sample road (the fixed road on the Arepo community main gate).

    The sample road is about 600 square meters, while they still have about 1.7 Kilometers of the main access road in the community to go.

    ACCDA President Kehinde Adeyemo, said since government has refused to come to their aid despite the fact that the road was awarded six years ago, they have decided to help themselves.

    “Our main access road in this community was awarded six years ago at the inception of Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s administration and ever since then we have been engaging the government on the need to come to our aid on this road, but to no avail. The road was awarded to First August in November 2012 under contract 11 with a sign post erected at the Journalists Estate Phase 1 gate end has since remained untouched and impassible for the motorists and pedestrians.

    He recalled that there was a time the road was cut into two due to erosion at Journalists’ Estate Phase 2 gate. “We gathered funds and we commenced work on the culvert, but before we moved to the second stage of the culvert construction, the state Ministry of Works came and helped us out. During the rainy season, we usually record casualties on this road, especially among pregnant women and children because the road is completely unmotorable and we all resort to Okada, which is vulnerable to women and children most especially.

    “We have also regularly sand-filled and graded the road in the past and we (residents of Arepo, purse of ACCDA and individual estate effort)  have so far spent over N18 million naira cumulatively on the road,” he said.

    He noted that when Governor Amosun came to the community in 2015 to seek re-election, they made it clear to him that the road was their priority.

    “When Governor Amosun came to our community in 2015 to seek re-election, we made it clear that the road was our priority because of the pain we are going through on daily basis, but we are still expecting them up till today. Each time we appeal to the state government, he used to give us assurance that the road would be fixed during his tenure, but nothing has been done till date.

    “Because of our concern for the road, we became close to almost everybody in the corridors of power in Abeokuta. Sadly enough, all we got were empty promises. It was while we were appealing at our end here that the state government contracted and constructed Magboro road, a neighbouring community. We felt neglected and disappointed.

    “It is saddening that with all the efforts we have made in ensuring that the government comes to power, this level of neglect is what we are getting from this government.”

    He said it is not too late for Ogun State government to redeem their promise to the community by mobilising First August to move to site. “We may not have the population, but most of us here are critical stakeholders with our own priced election values. We know that there are too many pressures from every quarter most especially that Obafemi Owode is the largest in Ogun State, but failing us is the saddest.

    “Since we saw that help is taking too long to come from the state government, we decided to take our destinies in our hands. Today, we are saying that if all of us in this community can come together with the money we are using to fix our cars and we pull the resources together, we can achieve a smooth hard surfaced road in Arepo .

    “What we are doing here today is for the public launch of the road in Arepo; this 600square meters in the Arepo main gate is a sample of what we intend to do on the Arepo access road, which is about 1.7 kilometers. This public launch is for the community to see that we can do this road ourselves and we appeal to everybody to donate towards the completion of the road.

    “We are calling on all landlords and residents to support this course. We propose a minimum of N100,000 per house hold. We don’t expect that everyone will drop it immediately, but if we have the project in mind, with N10,000 monthly, we would make it in 10 months or N5,000 monthly it can be done in less than 2 years.

    “We want to assure all ACCDA members and Arepo residents of prudent fund management and accountability. We would post regular updates on a notice board at the gate house and on the ACCDA WhatsApp platform. We need every kobo we can raise through the support and participation of all to fix this access road,” he said.

    Shallom Estate Residents Association Chairman, Mr Adeshina Shittu, said the public inauguration was to mobilise more resources for the completion of the project.

    “The estates in the communitites have been supportive and we expect that by sometime next year, we should have completed the road. Arepo is a town and the fact that the only road leading into that community is in a state of disrepair does not help the reputation of the state government,” he said.

  • Ibeto, US firm merge to stimulate cement, housing needs

    The recent acquisition of 70 per cent equity in an American firm by Nigeria’s Ibeto Cement Company has been described as a remarkable feat. This is not only because it represents the first transaction to be executed on a reverse merger basis, but for its import on the local and African economy, reports, MUYIWA LUCAS.

    Ibeto Cement Company Managing Director, Cletus Ibeto, by nature, is a self-effacing man. But owing to the new vista of business empire he has to oversee, he may have to shout himself to the roof top. And he has every reason to.

    The firm, recently acquired 70 per cent majority equity in Century Petroleum Corporation, a US publicly traded petroleum exploration and production company. This acquisition has made the Nigerian firm the controlling partner in the merger, thus throwing up Ibeto as the Chairman, Board of Directors of the new merger.

    For stakeholders in the industry, the pattern of the merger- a reverse merger option, is unique. This is because reverse mergers are not very popular approaches. Wikipedia describes such mergers as “the acquisition of a public company by a private company so that the private company can bypass the lengthy and complex process of going public. The transaction typically requires re-organisation of capitalisation of the acquiring company”.

    Speaking on the development, an obviously delighted Ibeto said: “This is in line with our collective dream to place Nigeria in its rightful place in the comity of nations. It is strong testament to the abounding potentials in today’s global village and economy.” He lauded stakeholders in the historic merger, saying it will improve the level of actualisation of the huge cement business opportunities around Africa.

    The merger of Ibeto Cement and Century Petroleum bestrode two key sectors of the economy: cement and petroleum.  While it is popular knowledge that the latter remains at the core of our national economy, cement is also a key indicator of any economy. Stakeholders are convinced that housing sufficiency or its lack, therefore, is directly proportional to its level of economic development, especially in relation to cement.

    A report by Morgan Stanley, a US multi-national financial services firm states that: “Cement consumption per capita tends to rise initially with rising gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, but then falls as countries mature economically.”

    It is worthy of note that Nigeria’s construction industry/sector is only 3.2 per cent of the GDP. This may be related to a World Bank statistics, which has it that 60 per cent of Nigeria’s estimated population of over 180 million is caught in the trap of homelessness.

    In the continent’s cement industry, African nations are currently at the low end of cement consumption relative to other emerging economies. With growing populations, it is predicted that cement consumption in Sub-Saharan Africa will grow by an average of between seven and 10 per cent year- on- year over the next two decades. Yet, Nigeria and Senegal are the only two countries in West African sub region that are blessed with limestone deposits in commercial quantities. This makes the cement industry a major development contributor not only in local housing needs, but as a major foreign exchange earner.

    Ibeto praised Federal Government’s initiative, noting that government’s national Backward Integration Policy (BIP) on cement and the call to increase its local production spurred Ibeto’s  acquisition of Nigeria Cement Company Limited (Nigercem), located in Nkalagu, Ebonyi State. He said the strategic acquisition of Nigercem was aimed at expediting Ibeto Cement’s local production  by resuscitating the Nigercem plant and developing the project as a brand new dry process plant. The company is also developing another 6,000 Metric Tons Per Day (TPD) Cement plant at Cross River and Abia states.

    Ibeto also has an ultra-modern bagging plant in Port Harcourt, where it began operations in 2005, with a flat-storage capacity of 50,000 metric tons and a production capacity of 1,500,000 metric tons per annum, which translates to a production capacity of 4,000+ metric tons per day. It has two (2) production lines, each with a capacity of 2, 700 of 50kg bags per hour or designed total production capacity of 5, 400 of 50kg bags per hour. An integral part of this plant facility is a modern purpose-built jetty (Ibeto jetty), which can accomodate ships of 190+ metres long with sophisticated and state-of-the-art ship unloaders, mounted at the waterfront on the jetty to facilitate discharge of bulk cement from offshore/foreign mother vessels.

  • ‘Why Lekki-Epe axis remains destination of choice’

    Investments along the Lekki-Epe corridor will remain high, given that the axis remains the country’s hub for real estate investment. This is so,  given that the corridor will soon be home to the biggest port and biggest refinery in the country; as well as one of the most beautiful and eco-friendly airports in Africa. In addition, the zone is home to a free trade zone, which is already oversubscribed by future-oriented local and global businesses. This explains why savvy developers are heading in that direction to provide the requisite housing required.

    The Managing Director,  Propertymart Real Estate Investment Limited,  Mr. Deji Fasuwon, said  the peculiar location of the axis has led to the concerted efforts by the state government to provide road infrastructure around the corridor, especially because it is given that it is already a high traffic route, with a significant economic benefit and potential to attrat more people. He was quick to add that when all the infrastructure is done, the missing link will be affordable housing for those who will work around this new economic hub.

    Fasuwon said  given the Lekki corridor as the fastest growing in West Africa, his firm believed that  creating a business corridor where everyone is welcome, there is need to critically look at affordable and decent housing on the corridor. He argued that Propertymart’s entry into the Lekki corridor is a catalyst to the creation of inclusive development for people across all strata, that would take advantage of the economic boom being expected in the axis..

    Propertymart, he further revealed, is aggressively developing the Fairmont Estate on the Sangotedo axis of Lekki by offering affordable land for sale. This comes with an innovative and accessible payment structure for the young and upwardly mobile, who are desirous of good and affordable value on the Lekki corridor, but who do not have the ability to pay the cut-throat prices of land.

    To achieve this, Propertymart, Fasuwon further disclosed, has launched a social enterprise strategy, tagged: “Housing Revolution”, an initiative that will intensify the strategy with the Fairmont land sale.

    “The need to encourage more persons to acquire their own properties at an affordable price under a flexible arrangement, a key-thrust of the Housing Revolution, which the company is championing, is the reason for the Fairmont land sale deal. With this deal, subscribers will be able to save over N4 million and pay over a five-year period for premium land asset, which is being delivered at an amazingly affordable price,” Fasuwon said.

    The thrust of the “Housing Revolution”, he said, is hinged on three critical things. They include the provision of needed infrastructure such as roads, walk-ways, recreational facilities and security in order to have a serene living community with space and splendor. Also is the availability of premium land and housing to the average middle-class Nigerian, hence the introduction of the convenient payment option with five-year tenor.

    Another consideration is affordability – through creating unique products, which are not priced out of the reach of working class Nigerians. “If you look at the Lekki corridor, which is dubbed the new Lagos because of the Free Trade Zone, Sea Port, the Airport, the Dangote Refinery and other big-ticket projects coming there, and the fact that everything on the Mainland and Island is moving there now, it is just wise that people should take advantage of the Fairmont land sale promo.

    “With the Fairmont land-sale in Lekki, Propertymart is steadily reversing the country’s housing deficit, especially in an area most Nigerians believed is out of their reach,” Fasuwon explained.

    Beyond the issue of access and affordability, the firm is also pushing for safety, security and style as advantages of the Fairmont Lekki offer, given the fact that the land is being offered not only at an unbeatable price, the estate will have wide paved roads, play-areas, large walkways and recreational facilities with a guarantee of constant electricity.

  • Refuse: CLI distributes 2m waste bags, 250,000 garbage bins

    About two million waste bags and 250,000 garbage bins have been distributed to Lagos residents free of charge to promote a healthier environment, Special Adviser to the governor on Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI), Adebola Shabi, has said.

    Shabi, who disclosed while addressing community, religious and market men and women leaders in Ifako-Ijaiye at the council’s Iju area office, said this is to press home the government’s zero tolerance to filth and indiscriminatel dumping of refuse in the state.

    The CLI has embarked on a statewide sensitisation campaign where government has been meeting with CDAs, CDCs, market women and religious leaders to collaborate with it in riding the state of refuse that threatened to soil its good image.

    Shabi urged Lagosians to join hands with the governments in its determination to keep the environment clean, adding that there’s no truth in the speculation that the government has stopped the PSP operators on waste disposal from working. According to him, government merely asked them to focus on commercial premises in the state.

    Visionscape, hee said, is a holistic company that has continued to work at delivering cutting edge services in waste disposal to the state.

    According to him, most of the old PSP operators could not operate because they have no operational vehicles. “These are the ones frustrating government’s effort,” Shabi said.

    He said census conducted by the CLI office showed that 16,000 commercial premises are in Lagos, while the total number of PSP operators are 350. “If these people distribute these premises at 400 apiece, they would still have left over. But the government in its magnanimity has even brought them back to continue their operations and they should continue to cart away domestic wastes,” Shabi said.

    He disclosed that the government  would not hesitate to withdraw the certificate of anyone, who refused to work, adding that about 140 fresh applicants have been screened by the government waiting to be deployed to work across the state.

    He urged residents to stop dumping refuse into drainage as well as patronising cart pushers, who according to him, end up dumping the collected refuse on the roads.

    “Research has shown that most of these refuse ultimately find their way into our waters and they end up contaminating the aqua life. Fishes found in our waters get contaminated because of the contaminants we dump into our rivers and we end up consuming them, ingesting into our system carcinogenic metals that predispose us to cancer,” Shabi said.

    He said waste materials such as plastic bottles and electronic wastes such as laptops, phones, batteries, etc, could be sorted separately and recycled as being done in developed nations of the world to promote employment and new skill for youths, who were hitherto unemployed.

    Addressing market women, Shabi said not only should all markets premises be kept clean, government has directed that all markets in the state be fumigated at least, once every quarter. He said LASEPA should certify all fumigants to be used by markets to ensure that they are not poisonous to human health.

    He urged Supervisory Councillors for Environment to appoint environment guards and sanction anyone found to be transgressing the state directives.

    Earlier, Ifako-Ijaiye Council Chairman Apostle Oloruntoba Oke commended the state Governor for his efforts at ensuring a cleaner environment. He was represented by the Council Secretary, Ayodeji Jeje, who described the sensitisation programme as a huge success. He added that the council is happy that “our people are being properly educated on how to bag their wastes and how to dispose them so that the do not constitute nuisance to the roads and other open spaces”.

    The sensitisation, he said, would further concretise what the council has been doing, adding that a clean environment promotes healthy living. He urged residents to exercise more patience with the government as all hands are on deck to rid the state of waste. He said “that is why the CLI is again here to ask them to partner the government by stopping those acts that promote filthiness of our roads and open spaces by those dumping refuse indiscriminately”.

  • Plastics pollution hightens concerns over clean oceans

    Nigeria is on the United Nation’s list of top-10 biggest plastic polluters. Last week, world leaders and stakeholders gathered to celebrate the World Ocean Day. The event drew concerns over the state of the water bodies in the country, as it relates to pollution, especially of plastics. The event is a wake-up call for all, if only to ensure the continued safety of the environment, reports, MUYIWA LUCAS.

    IN this decade, more campaigns have been held on how to  make the planet safe.

    Organisations, local and international, have more than ever galvanised support for the environment, especially in the wake of climate change.

    The World Oceans Day, which was celebrated last Friday, was a day nations made further commitment to healthy, thriving oceans and seas free from plastic pollution, under the aegis of the Clean seas campaign.

    The campaign, an initiative of the United Nations (UN) Environment, is considered the largest global compact for combatting marine litter, with commitments from 51 nations covering 62 percent of the world’s coastlines. No fewer than eight new countries joined the campaign.

    India – which also joined on June 5, the World Environment Day – promised to address plastic pollution upstream by banning single-use plastics by 2022. The country pledged to address the problem downstream, with its  coastal audit, developed in partnership with the campaign.

    Other countries, who pledged to step up their protection of the ocean and their coastlines include Argentina, Cote d’Ivoire, United Arab Emirates, Honduras, Guyana and Vanuatu.

    At a meeting with Minister of State for the Environment, Ibrahim Jibril, in Abuja, the Executive Director of the UN Environment, Erik Solheim, Nigeria officially joined the campaign.

    “There is now more momentum than ever before to beat plastic pollution and protect the oceans that we all share from the tide of disposable plastic,” Solheim said.

    He added that seeing so many countries joining the campaign meant that we were moving towards having many pollution-free oceans.

     

    Recycling plants

    According to Jubril, as part of Nigeria’s commitment to the campaign, the country is developing a national plastic waste recycling programme, as well as establishing plastic waste recycling plants across the country in partnership with state governments. At present, a total of eight plants have been completed and handed over to the states while 18 others are at various stages of completion.

    The Federal Government is also collaborating with state governments to establish plastic waste recycling plants under the community-based waste management programme in the ministry.

    “Two plants have been completed in Ilorin, Kwara State, one in Lokoja, Kogi State, while work on another is ongoing in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State. The plants are located at Bola Jari in Gombe State and Leda Jari in Kano State. The establishment of the plants would assist to turn waste to wealth and ensure the sustainability of the environment,” he explained.

    Solheim disclosed that the UN Environment would support Nigeria’s waste management initiatives aimed at reducing, reusing and recycling plastics. He expressed happiness over the way the private sector in the waste management sector organised itself to provide technical solutions for effective collection and recycling of bottles in the country.

     

    Ogoni land clean up

    The UN Environment boss, as part of initiatives of protecting the environment, urged the Federal Government to fast-track the clean-up of oil spill in Ogoni land. Solheim recalled that the UNEP report on Ogoni clean-up was launched by former President Olusegun Obasanjo-led administration, noting that people were interested to see physical development in the land. He regretted that had Nigeria showed commitment by contributing its own quota, the $1 billion counterpart fund set aside by the UN would have addressed the clean-up project.

    Jubril, however, noted that the Federal Government, oil companies and other relevant stakeholders in the oil sector had opened explorer account for the Ogoni clean-up project, assuring that from this week, the account would begin to get funded. He revealed that out of 400 contractors that bided for the project, 150 were pre-qualified.

     

    Groups take the lead

    To celebrate the day, an environmental group, “Let’s Do It Campaign” and the Junior Chamber International (JCI) Lagos Metropolitan, took to the initiative to clean up Elegushi beach, Lagos.

    Let’s Do It Nigeria Campaign Manager Mr Gafar Odubote, said the clean-up would cover plastic pollution in the waterways.

    “In collaboration with our partners, we are taking a stand against plastic pollution with a massive clean-up project at the Elegushi beach to commemorate the World Oceans Day. The Day is an opportunity to further emphasise the need to bring people’s attention to the increasing rate of plastic pollution in Nigeria both on the lands and beaches,’’ Odubote said.

    The Elegushi Beach Clean-up, he  said, was inspired by concerned members of the society who wanted to take action to reduce the amount of trash and plastic that enters the ocean. With 51 volunteers, Odubote explained, they were able to bag 107 wastes sorted into plastic bottles, glass bottles, rubber slippers, polythene nylons and food wastes.

    “There are many things we can do as individuals to reduce our plastic consumption. Individuals must control their consumption pattern, stop patronising single-use plastics and develop a positive attitude towards waste disposal,’’ he said. He called on the Federal Government to enact and enforce policies and regulations to quell plastic pollution in the waterways.

    Similarly, JCI Lagos Metropolitan President, Adeyanju Adeonipekun, said the cleanup was aimed at enlightening the people on the risks of an unclean ocean.

    “This Beach cleanup project at Elegushi is to enlighten the people on the risks of unclean oceans and its hazards to health. The World Oceans Day is a wakeup call for everyone in Nigeria to ensure their environment is clean and healthy. Our planet is dying gradually of wastes and as active citizens, the responsibility is on us to act fast to save the planet,’’ Adeonipekun told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

     

    Protection of marine lives

    Also, the Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research (NIOMR) called on Ngerians to do more to ensure safety of marine lives.

    Its Assistant Director, Dr Mabel Yarhere, who spoke at the institute’s clean up of the Alfa Beach and Up Cycle Training as aprt of activities to mark the day, said  there was the need to save aquatic lives because they were source of food for humans. The event was organised in partnership with the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC), Lagos, and FABE International Foundation.

    “Plastic prevents the dissolved oxygen that is supposed to penetrate the ocean and marine resources are affected. Plastic also affects our fisheries; when plastics enter the tracks of fishes, they die. The endangered species in our water, especially the turtles, are killed by plastics, and they are supposed to produce minerals into the ocean for fishes to reproduce. Plastics also affect the navigation of vessels in oceans and prevent the productivity of the oceans,” she said.

    Yarhere noted that the Sustainable Development Goal 14 is aimed at making marine productive. This, she said, would make the world to feed well and have oceans devoid of plastics that cause casinogene in the body.

     

    Global unity

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres said everybody should bd involved in the campaign and that they could contribute “from carrying your own water bottle, to volunteering for a local clean-up”.

    The UN chief reminded everyone of the major role the oceans have in their lives, as the lungs of the planet, providing most of the oxygen that we breathe.

    “The oceans make our blue planet unique in our solar system – and not just visually,” he said.

    He added that they help regulate “the global climate and are the ultimate source of the water that sustains all life on earth, from coral reefs to snow-covered mountains, from tropical rain forests to mighty rivers, and even deserts’’.

    “However, the ability of the oceans to provide their essential services is being threatened by climate change, pollution and unsustainable use,” he stressed.

    Plastic pollution alone is wreaking tremendous havoc on the marine resources of the world, he said, highlighting the problem of plastic pollution in particular.

    About 80 per cent of all pollution in the sea comes from land, including some eight million tonnes of plastic waste yearly.

    This has cost the lives of one million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals, while it causes eight billion dollars in damage annually to marine ecosystems.

    Guterres said pollution “chokes waterways, harms communities that depend on fishing and tourism, kills turtles and birds, whales and dolphins, and finds its way to the most remote areas of the planet and throughout the food chain on which we ultimately rely”.

  • Stakeholders, agency battle over regulation

    The World Environmental Day (WED), was marked on Tuesday. However, the Environmental Import Clearance (EIC) permit, a regulation allegedly put in place to safeguard the country from degenerating into a “dumping ground,” has pitched a regulator against some stakeholders, reports MUYIWA LUCAS.

    THE environment, its maintenance and sustainability, have remained  source of grave concern to the government. Hence, it was quite impressive when the government set up various agencies to tackle, headlong,  environmental degradation.  One of these is the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA).

    The agency’s statutory function centres on environmental  protection, conservation and natural resources safeguard, all centering on having in place a sustainable development of the country’s natural resources and environmental technology co-ordination. This meant that the agency ought to have developed a sustainable programme of liason with relevant stakeholders to make its impact felt more in the society.

    But experts and stakeholders have continued to express concern on the scope of operations of this agency. For instance, issues bothering on oil spills, desertification, loss of natural habitat, exploitation for firewood, uncontrolled logging, fire, petroleum exploration activities, mining as much as grazing have continued to constitute major environmental challenges confronting the nation.

    In the Niger Delta region for example, where more than 70 per cent of the people rely on natural resources for existence, it has not been a palatable story. This is on account of the region’s peculiar terrain, which has made it possible for crude oil to be found just five meters from the surface of the earth.

    A couple of years back, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) said the Niger Delta people, Ogoniland in particular, have lived with chronic pollution all their lives. Benzene levels were as much as 900 times higher than the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommendations, and Nigeria was losing about 0.6 per cent of its treasured land to desertification on yearly basis.

    By far, the biggest concern is the  extensive exploration in the country, which has led to massive pollution with far reaching implications. The high volume of associated gas (AG) in Nigeria’s light crude coupled with a poor history of investment in gas gathering and utilisation infrastructure have made the elimination of gas flaring difficult.

    It is on record that organisations and businesses involved in generating environmentally degrading items are daily seeking means of disposing their produce with the cheapest means. One of this is dumping. In this instance, the Koko Village, in Delta State, toxin dump of 1988 comes to mind. For regulatory agencies, policing this type of incidence can be challenging and requires a holistic approach.

    Perhaps, issues such as this explained the proposed plans by NESREA aimed at enforcing import clearance permit, a regime which mandates importers intending to clear their consignments at the ports, to first apply for its newly formulated Environmental Import Clearance permit (EIC). The permit is to regulate imported items and to ensure that banned chemicals and hazardous substances are not imported into the country. It is also to ensure that “end-of-life” of the items is considered under the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programme as required by law.

    The EIC, according to NESREA, would replace the import permit usually issued by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) as well as the Standards Organisation of Nigeria Conformity Assessment Programme (SONCAP) certificate usually  issued by the SON.

    But this position is now a subject of discord among the agency, environmentalists, importers and other stakeholders across the sectors. While questions are being asked by stakeholders on how well the agency has acquainted itself with its core environmental responsibilities by way of tackling same successfully since its inception, yet, others are concerned at how NESREA obtained the authorisation to be the sole authority for the issuance of the said document.

    For instance, an environmentalist, Mayowa Sodipo, said the position of NESREA on the EIC is worrisome, as it may have gone beyond its brief. “Going by the NESREA functions, its responsibility as enshrined in NESREA Act, is mainly protection and development of the environment, bio-diversity conservation and sustainable development of Nigeria’s natural resources in general and environmental technology, including co-ordination and liason with relevant stakeholders within and outside Nigeria,” he argued.

    According to him, the enforcement or implementation of this policy is at variance with the several efforts of government in the past aimed at eliminating duplicity of functions, checkmate corruption as well as quicken the process of checking goods entering the country through its waterways.

    Similarly, an importer and clearing agent at Apapa Wharf, Toyin Orimolade, lamented that the introduction of EIC by the agency was a duplication when it is considered that the same certificate is used to obtain Form M, unlike the SON certification, which requires that an importer must get  product certificate (PC) first, and later get SONCAP after getting Form M. Again, no certificate validation is required for NESREA, as one may then use his permit to apply for Form M.

    Sodipo contended that NESREA‘s statutory responsibilities are huge hence, the agency needed not involve itself in port clearing. “NESREA should concern itself with containing the huge and worrisome environmental issues bedevilling the country, rather than desiring a spot at the ports where sister agencies have established a reputation and can run the rounds effectively,” he said.

    In NESREA’s view, promoting  EIC permit is very apt, and devoid of any form of overlap, so long as the agency is strictly enforcing environment related issues.

    Besides, such efforts are aimed at tackling the dumping of environmentally hazardous products in the country. Since NAFDAF oversees drugs related issues;  SON tackles products specification and standards, then NESREA, it is argued, should be made to check the influx of used equipment, especially e-wastes. This is to prevent Nigeria from being turned into a dumping ground for e-waste. This is what is believed the EIC will stop.

    But, the general consensus is that thre are  more far-reaching environmental task ahead of the agency begging for attention.

  • China’s Xizi elevator enters Nigerian market

    China’s leading elevator company, Xizi Elevator Co. Limited, in collaboration with Eliel Jerahmeal Nigeria Limited, a firm of marketing, distribution, sales and services of elevator and escalator equipment, has announced Xizi brand of elevators and escalators’ entry into the market.

    Elief Jerameal Nigeria Chairman, Mr. Ayo Adefemi, said Xizi elevators and escalators are of world-class standards and Nigeria as a developing country and other African countries would benefit from its services.

    He said Eliel Jerahmeal, which has obtained exclusive rights from Xizi Elevator Co, based on the partnership, is authorised to bring the equipment into the Nigerian market for distribution, sales installation and services at affordable rate, compared to the ones already on ground.

    “The company, after investigation, discovered that Eliel Jerameal is strong in Nigeria. So, the president of Xizi signed a letter of authorisation for our company to market this equipment in West Africa, including Benin Republic, Cameroon, Nigeria and Ghana,” Adefemi said.

    Adefemi, who spoke at the unveiling of the brand in Lagos, during the week, explained that Xizi elevator goes for residential, hotel, office building, hospital, industry, shopping mall and others.

    “We are bringing the same quality as obtained in other parts of the world into the market at really affordable prices. Xizi Elevator Company has exceptional technology that is unique and preferred globally. So, the technology would deliver desired results to the end users in Nigeria and other West African countries,” Adefemi said.

    He added that Xizi elevator has a top-notch industry technology Research & Development (R&D) team and engineering personnel, with over 300 R&D engineers and national laboratory and over 30 primary constructors.

    “Our confidence is that this brand of elevator technology is tested and it has delivered in almost every part of the world and Africa will not be an exception especially in Nigeria,” he stated.

    Xizi brand of elevators and escalators is energy saving. The Xizi elevator, for instance, has stood the test of time, becoming the number one national brand in China since 1996 and the first elevator export to Vienam.

    The company provides products and services for top nine elevator brands in the world – OTIS United Technologies, KONE, Schindler, Hyundai Elevator, Yungtay, Hitachi, Toshiba, Marohn Thyssenkrupp and Giant Kone. Its quality service delivery globally has earned the company several awards locally and internationally.

    Adefemi said his company’s partnership with the Chinese firm and its subsequent entry into the Nigeria market was part of efforts to encourage foreign investment into the country.

    He also said it will encourage competition as well as strengthen the user-friendly services of elevators, escalators and related components in Nigeria and other West African countries.

  • Megamound boost for middle class

    Hope is on the horizon for middle income earners desirous of owning a property in the highbrow Lekki axis of Lagos State. This comes on the heels of a special offer plan from a Real Estate development firm, Megamound Investment Limited.

    Last week, the firm unveiled a new project known as “County Apartments,” for this category of Nigerians. The new estate, which is planned to sit on 16, 000 square metres of land, has been designed exclusively for investors who craved a unique social living space.

    Megamound’s Head of Sales, Marian Diagbonya, explained that the development was conceived following the successful construction, sale and management of Lekky County Homes. County Apartments is located within the same estate as Lekki County Homes.

    “County Apartments sits within the Lekky County Homes Phase 2 and will have uninterrupted power supply, sewage system, boreholes, a recreational area and schools, among other modern and social amenities,” Diagbonya said, further describing the estate as “a great place to live the life you have always dreamt of.”

    Diagbonya assured investors of  return on investment (RoI) which she said will be difficult to match anywhere. This is because the estate comprises 16 blocks of 10 flats each, totaling 160 units. The flats range from one-bedroom to three-bedrooms.

    Her optimism on the RoI is based on a 15 per cent annual capital appreciation in investment yields on Lekky County Homes, on whose back the the new estate is riding. Besides, its already developed neighbourhood present ample opportunity for it to yield more value in its first five years post completion.

    “Being an off-plan, the current prices for the County Apartments are expected to shoot up by completion date, therefore, immediate capital appreciation is anticipated for investors. The good thing is, County Apartments is strategically located between Chevron Drive and VGC, and this gives it proximity to several major sites,” Diagbonya said.

    The firm’s General Manager, Olayemi Lashore, said the project would be completed on November 201, its deadline. He said the firm is committed to real estate development, having been in business for over 25 years, and driven by the need to provide adequate and affordable accommodation for all class levels.

    Describing the structural integrity of the buildings, the Project Manager, County Apartments, Emmanuel Adepalusi, said the houses had been designed to stand the test of time. He explained that considering the terrain, each building in the estate will be standing on 72 pile points of nine metres in depth.

    For investors desirous of mortgage facilities, Omoluabi Mortgage is partnering the firm to provide mortgage facility for the project.