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Tag: EIA

  • ‘Obtaining EIA approval a must for projects development in Lagos’

    ‘Obtaining EIA approval a must for projects development in Lagos’

    Lagos State Government yesterday restated that obtaining an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approval is a must for all projects developments across the state.

    The Special Adviser on Environment,  Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu, made this known during a Stakeholders’ Engagement Workshop Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Practitioners in Real Estate Sector and Projects Developers in Lagos State, held in Ikeja.

    According to him, all developers/builders must subject their projects to EIA process before their commencement.

    He said estate development building projects include five-floors building and above, eight apartments units and above, shopping malls, filling stations, industrial facilities, sand mining projects, dredging, land reclamation, among others.

    He said the state government would not hesitate to enforce compliance in the overriding interest of ensuring public safety and sustainable development when necessary.

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    He said EIA was a critical environmental management tool that must be embraced by private and public sectors (stakeholders in real estate sector) in order to achieve sustainable development.

    He noted that the state had remained the most preferred destination for investors/ businesses in Nigeria, adding that this was attributed to the growing population, which provided a huge market for goods and services; modern infrastructure as well as sound policies, which had continued to create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive.

    The Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental Services, Dr.Tajudeen Gaji, said the workshop was not only apt, but also timely, coming at a time all hands must be on deck to ensure sustainable development in the state.

    “EIA is a critical safeguard instrument that has been adopted across the globe as a tool for protecting the environment and public health.

    ‘’It has as its objective, early identification of likely impacts both adverse and beneficial that can result from a proposed project and proffering appropriate measures to either eliminate, reduce or mitigate the adverse impacts,” he said.

    The Director, Environmental Assessment Department, Dr. Olasunkanmi Sojinu, said EIA process was backed by the EIA Act CAP E12 LFN 2004 and the Lagos State Environmental Management and protection Law 2017, which made it mandatory for major developments to subject such to the EIA process and obtain appropriate approval before commencement.

  • Floods: Coalition urges stoppage of dredging, revisit of EIA

    Floods: Coalition urges stoppage of dredging, revisit of EIA

    The Concerned Citizens of Lekki Peninsula, Ikoyi and Victoria Island – a coalition of estates in the Lekki-Epe axis – have called on the Lagos State government to ensure the immediate removal of all obstructions to the natural watercourse in the area and uphold the sanctity of the Lekki Regional Masterplan.

    The request is coming in the wake of the recent flooding that affected most parts of Lagos Island.

    The coalition blamed the flooding on what it called “the indiscriminate sandfilling of natural water courses, oceans and lagoons in the area and the inability of the government to implement the Lekki drainage regional master plan.”

    Addressing reporters on Victoria Island, the chairman of the coalition, Mr. Olusegun Ladega, identified factors responsible for the flooding to be three folds. Firstly, he blamed the distortion in the Lekki drainage regional masterplan caused by the indiscriminate sand filling of natural waterways, and the illegal construction of structures on drainages and canals that obstruct the flow of water so flood water has nowhere to go.

    Secondly, Ladega noted that the inability of the critical ministries in the state – Environment, Waterfront, Land and Physical Planning – to work in synergy has resulted in infringement and breach of environmental laws by the ministries, leading to a poor and weak enforcement of the laws, building regulations and town planning guidelines.  He listed the third cause of the flood as the sand- filling of lagoons and oceans causing coastal erosion and forcing water back to land, and the inability of estate developers to produce Environmental Impact Analysis reports.

    Ladega urged the Lagos State government to resolve these issues, saying that the flooding was not principally the effect of indiscriminate dumping of refuse and climate change, which government blamed.

    Therefore, the coalition further said, having identified these reasons as the remote causes of the flooding, there was a need to change the narrative from the narrow political one being peddled by the government of residents clogging canals with refuse and climate change.

    The coalition  argued that as the area that pays the highest amount on its properties to the government, it deserves to be given a certain level of consideration especially as concerns infrastructure.

    They called on government to, as a matter of urgency, put in place measure that will abate the menace caused by flooding in the area. One of these demands is the immediate stoppage of all sand filling activities across the state until the Environmental Impact Assessments reports are made available and subjected to independent scientific review. Besides, they urged the state government to enforce the original drainage master plan, and all distortions on the drainage master plan be reversed; all construction hindering flow of water be removed immediately and there should be a restoration of all developments to comply with the Lagos State environmental laws.

    Ladejo noted that the flooding of the July 8  and 22, has exposed the lack of a response plan/structure to deal with an emergency of this scale. Therefore, the body says an emergency plan should be put in place that will address the persistent flooding and attend to residents affected by the menace.

    Other measures the coalition suggested include adequate measures  to inform the public of the emergency plan that will inform the public of the dangers; a plan for the rescue of anyone affected, relocation of those whose properties are affected in case of another flood. Also, the government should put in place a mechanism for the maintenance of drainage structures, and maximise capacity of drainages as both reservoirs and transport medium for waste waters.

    “This is common sense, but it is not done. Drainages are filled up with silt up to about 75 per cent of their capacity. There is the need to repair and reconstruct existing drainages because most of them have lost their capacity due to structural damages,” Ladega said.             The coalition also charged the state government to continue with the use of filter strips in form of permeable paving (main roads and development driveways), which needs to be reinforced as concrete roads are not desirable in these areas. He said there is a need to limit flow of waste water into public drains by improving on waste water management systems in large estates; improved septic tank design/construction in private residence. Ladega explained that there is the need to also maximise river course capacity. For instance, he revealed that the Lagos Lagoon has not been dredged in ages, hence, the need for a deliberate sweep of the river bed to improve water flow and retention.

    “Furthermore, the Lagos State Government needs to develop deliberate policy to protect the Peninsula to influence development and construct mechanical flood defences. This will range from ordinary levees with sand bags to concrete/shell shore protection and embankment,” he explained.

    Importantly, the coalition called on government to construct artificial ponds or lakes to act as additional reservoir / retention for floodwater and caissons. It added that there is also a need to construct elevated road with gentle slope embankment, as this will preserve the integrity of road for the purpose of evacuation during flooding emergency and at the same time increase capacity of drains.

    The coalition also tasked government to appoint a watch dog committee from the private sector and civil society that will monitor, and ensure the environmental laws are properly carried out all through the year.

  • Court rules expert witness can give evidence on EIA

    Court rules expert witness can give evidence on EIA

    Justice Doris Okuwobi of a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja declared yesterday that an environmental expert, Prof Olaniyi Okedele, could give evidence on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report he co-authored.

    The judge said this while ruling in a N10 billion suit brought against Standard Chartered Bank by elder statesman, Dr. Tunji Braithwaite.

    Dr. Braithwaite is challenging the construction of a 14-storey building with a multi-level car park opposite his home on Victoria Island, Lagos.

    The bank, through its counsel, Adetunji Adegbonmire, challenged the claimant’s decision for Prof Okedele to give evidence in the matter.

    Justice Okuwobi ruled that it was in the interest of justice to allow the witness to give evidence to assist the court in explaining the contents of the document, which was in evidence.

    She said: “The defence counsel opposed him not to give evidence on the reason that there was no evidence statement filed by plaintiff. Rules of court should be complied with for quick dispensation of justice. The witness is an expert.

    “He should be given a chance to explain what is contained in the document tendered. I find the objection untenable and I allow the witness to continue with his evidence.”

    Consequently upon the ruling, Prof. Okedele entered the witness box to give testimony on the matter.

    The don told the court that the EIA report relied upon by the bank in constructing the building did not meet international standard.

    He added that EIA was an international instrument that regulates construction, to which Nigeria is a signatory.

    The witness said the airspace between the structure and the claimant’s home should be up to 10 metres but that what obtained at the moment was less than the international stipulations.

    He told the court that this had resulted in wind obstruction to the house.

    Under cross-examination, Adegbonmire demanded to know if there was a physical measurement of the distance.

    Prof. Okedele explained that their findings emanated from an assessment which they performed through simulation, since it was unsafe to approach the structure for measurement then.

    He volunteered to conduct the measurement either physically or visually now that the structure was on the 14th floor to confirm that the simulation was in order.

    But Adegbonmire insisted that the contents of the expert report was not correct since there was no direct physical measurement by the witness’ firm.

    The claimant, Dr. Braithwaite, after the cross-examination of the witness did not conduct any further examination. He, consequently, closed his case.

    The bank would open its defence at the next adjourned date.

    Justice Okuwobi adjourned further proceedings till January 27 and March 3.

  • Nigeria, others to face long-term budgetary problems, says EIA

    The possibility of Nigeria, Algeria, Libya, Angola, and other oil producing nations facing budgetary hiccups is high, following the persistent fall in the international prices of crude oil, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has said.

    The United States -based energy watchdog, in its October report, said it was unlikely that prices of crude oil would rebound soon implying that Nigeria, which depends largely on oil revenues to service 85 per cent of its budget, has to contend with budgetary problems for some time.

    The agency, which typically refrains from predicting oil prices, said that prices could fall further in 2015, after declining to their lowest levels since 2010. “While there has been some speculations that the high cost of unconventional oil production might set a new equilibrium for Brent prices in the $80 to $90 range, supply/ demand  balances suggest that the price rout has yet to run its course,’’ the IEA said.

    The body said barring any new supply disruptions, downward price pressures could build further in the first half of 2015. “Oil prices have fallen 30 per cent since peaking in June, pressured by a strong US dollar and rising US light oil output while largely ignoring the impact of Libyan supply disruptions,” it added.

    According to the agency, its forecast of global oil demand growth remains unchanged at 1.13million from a five year annual low of 680,000 barrels per day (bpd) in the year in view of the happenings in the global oil market.

    Price of crude oil has fallen from $115 per barrel to below $80 per barrel in the past three months on account of crisis in the Middle East, surge in the production of U.S shale oil among other issues. The development made the Federal Government to try and introduce austerity measures to cushion the effect of the falling oil price on the economy.

    Also, the government is planning to withdraw $2 billion from excess crude account (ECA) for financing of capital projects and also benchmarked oil price at $73 per barrel in its 2015 budget.

  • ‘Fourth Mainland Bridge is work-in-progress’

    The Lagos State government has debunked rumours that it has jettisoned the plan to construct the Fourth Mainland Bridge.

    Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure Kadri Obafemi Hamzat said the plan was in progress.

    He told The Nation in his Office at Alausa Ikeja that in spite of the encumbrances existing, the current administration is working round the clock to see to its early actualisation.

    Kadiri said the government was committed to easing movement. He explained that three alignment options are being proposed for the bridge’s construction, adding that they come with their financial implications and challenges.

    Kadiri said: “The bridge component is only about 3.5km while the other road component is about 20km. Where possible, the government tried to avoid demolition but the citizens’ attitude of buying land indiscriminately without verifying government’s interest is a major issue.”

    On the status of the bridge, he said most of the preliminary works involving soil test, Environment Impact Assessment (EIA), topography and biometric survey had been conducted.

    Kadiri said the government would seek the people’s contributions as the project progresses.

    He said the proposed bridge represents more than a transportation facility, adding that it would give engineering students an opportunity to see how it is built.

    He said capacity building was a core consideration in the proposed project, adding that the era of importing people for such project is over.

     

     

     

     

     

  • ATCON warns against backlash of NCC’s policy

    ATCON warns against backlash of NCC’s policy

    The Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) has warned the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) against implementing its open access model for broadband deployment.

    It said a similar policy by the regulator a few years ago affected internet service providers (ISPs).

    ATCON’s President, Lanre Ajayi, said the first step in a new policy should be its environment impact assessment (EIA).

    He urged the NCC to undertake an EIA of the broadband policy.

    He said there could be a backlash of a good policy.

    According to him, a policy by the NCC a few years ago which stopped ISPs from operating at a particular band depleted the number of players from 92 to less than 30, adding that the policy might also have a similar ripple effect in the industry.

    “Have we done the socio-economic impact assessment the policy? I think we should do the socio economic impact of the policy before we jump into its implementation,” Ajayi warned.

    Under the open access model, which the NCC intends to implement, a total of seven companies called InfraCos will be licensed to provide broadband services in the six geo-political zones of the country will one of the InfraCos will operate in Lagos.

    NCC Executive Vice Chairman (EVC), Dr Eugene Juwah, said the government would provide funds to the InfraCos based on their plan.

    But some players in the sector said it could lead to unfair practices.

    One of the stakeholders in the industry, who spoke on condition of anonymity, lamented that the NCC would spend public funds on the companies the regulator will be licensing to provide broadband services to the citizens.

    “When you deploy public funds to a private investor, such funds will be used to have undue advantage over the players in the industry,” he said.

    But the EVC said there was nothing esoteric about the government offering subsidy to investors, arguing that the earliest players in the mobile telephone services enjoyed tax holidays for about five years, adding that even after the expiration of the five years, some of them were not ready to pay.

    Juwah said since the project for which subsidy was being provided was for the public good, there was nothing wrong with providing such an incentive, arguing that fears of the players in the segment was baseless.

  • OPEC to cut production by 500,000 barrels

    The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries(OPEC) may cut oil production by half a million barrels a day when its meets in December, the International Energy Agency(EIA) has said.

    The body said if all go accoridng to plans, the reduction in production would be the first in five years since the last time such exercise was carried out was 2008.

    It said: “ The last time OPEC cut its oil output was in late 2008 when it reduced production to 4.2 million barrels a day. During this time, oil demand fell and prices crashed amid the financial crisis.

    Lately, Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, have supported keeping the production ceiling at 30 million barrels a day, The organisation could reduce production by half a million barrels a day due to the surge in the North American shale boom,”

    OPEC’s latest report, released last week, projected that demand for its crude will slide 500,000 barrels a day next year to 29.4 million barrels of oilper day (MMbpd), or about 2.6 per cent less than the organisation is currently producing,’

    It added that OPEC is ‘concerned’ about US/Canadian production increases and its implications on the global oil market.

    The International Energy Agency also stated that demand for OPEC oil in 2014 will fail to meet its current production of around 30 million barrels per day, in its released report last week.

    It said OPEC will try to maintain production levels in order keep prices from falling below $100 a barrel.

    According to the body, the development coincides with a surge in oil supply from countries outside the OPEC group.

  • LCCI frets over global oil market

    LCCI frets over global oil market

    President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Mr. Goodie Ibru, has raised the alarm over the sharp decline in the contribution of the oil and gas sector to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which fell from 26 per cent in 2003 to 13.42 per cent in 2012.

    He frowned at what he called extreme dependence of the government finances and external trade balances on proceeds from the sector, which he said exposes the nation to significant risks arising from price, production and supply shocks.

    Ibru, who made these disclosures in Lagos over the weekend while reviewing the performance outlook of the second quarter of the economy, expressed worries over new oil and gas fields in East and West Africa including Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leon, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

    He also said that the replacement of Nigeria oil in the United States of America (USA) with Shale gas. Quoting the US Energy Information Agency (EIA), he stated that oil imports by US will decline to six million barrels per day (mbpd), roughly a third of what it uses as the country moves closer to less oil independence as shale gas production accounts for 46 per cent of US natural gas production.

  • ‘Nigeria’s energy consumption’ll grow by 56% by 2040’

    Nigeria’s energy consumption will increase by 56 per cent in 2040 due to its rapidly growing population, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) has said.

    Already,the country is targeting increase from 4,000MW to 10,000MW and gas production from 26,000 to 46,000 mega watts to meet its energy needs in the next few years.

    EIA, in its International Energy Outlook report released at the weekend, said the energy needs of Nigeria among other countries in Africa, would increase in tandem with its growing population in the next few decades. It said the growth in energy consumption is driven by the its growing economy, among other indices..

    It said China and India’s rising prosperity is a major factor in the outlook for global energy demand, adding that the power requirements of the two countries have been more than double in recent times.

    The report said: “These two countries combined, account for half the world’s total increase in energy use through 2040. This will have a profound effect on the development of world energy markets.”

    It said energy demand will increase to 820 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu) in 2040, up from 524 quadrillion Btus, adding that China’s energy use will double that of the United States by 2040.

    It said renewable energy and nuclear power are the fastest growing source of energy consumption, with each increasing by 2.5 per cent per year. stressing that fossil fuels, including oil, natural gas and coal will continue to supply almost 80 per cent of the world’s energy through 2040.

    The report said natural gas is the fastest growing fossil fuel in EIA’s outlook, and will continue to dominate the landscape.

    It said non-OECD in Europe, Middle East and the United States, accounted for the largest increase in natural gas production globally.

    The explosion in supply from unconventional sources will underpin growth of natural gas demand, while high oil prices will encourage countries to focus on liquid fuels “when feasible”, the report stated.

    The report projected benchmark Brent crude to average $105 this year, and $100 by 2014, adding that prices will increase long-term with the world oil price reaching $106 a barrel in 2020, and $163 in 2040 in the reference case.