The Nation Newspaper

Tag: ‘Environmental

  • Regaining Nigeria’s environmental treasures

    The theme of this year’s World Earth Day: Environmental and climate literacy, was a vital premise to advocate for protection of our environment with emphasis on climate literacy. Basically, environmental and climate literacy refer to knowledge, effects, benefits and importance of our planet’s surrounding and temperature.

    Interestingly, earth is the only planet in the cosmos where life is possible. So, it is very essential to maintain the natural endowments of the earth in order to enjoy life on it and not injure the environmental composition as humans are swiftly pushing for the increased rate at which greenhouse gases are emitted. We must not carelessly show attitudes that can tamper with natural balance of the earth, which supports life to stay healthy and alive in it.

    Earth day celebration has been a good programme, since it was first marked on April 22, 1970, which is now generally adopted for the purpose of making humans aware and appreciate the importance of the planet. It has grown in leaps and bounds from the United States and it is now being observed today in about 195 countries across the world. Obviously, it is being celebrated in Nigeria too, but how did we mark the day?

    In line with theme, there was a call for increased participation and efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change and global warming through environmental conservation, education and advocacy to encourage environmental sanitation.

    Nigeria in particular is faced with many environmental challenges, which was brought by increased industrialisation and burning of fossil fuel that releases greenhouse gases in to the atmosphere, which in turn depletes the ozone layer that prevents the sun’s ultra violet rays from reaching the earth. These gases have increased the earth’s temperature; this is the cause of global warming.

    Another big problem is the death of aquatic lives, which is caused by the mixture of rivers and waterways with industrial toxic materials. We experience global warming, because of increased industrialisation which came as a result of deforestation and destruction of vegetative zones that help carbon sequestration and mitigate the depletion of ozone layer.

    Today our surroundings are dirty and littered with non-biodegradable materials and solid waste are deposited in our communities, blocking drainages and water ways and giving rise to health and environmental hazards. Alas, we presently lack the technology to help convert these non-biodegradable materials to less harmful substances.

    However, our massive human capacity, knowledge, financial resources and political ill can remedy the present menace, if we collectively get down to work.

    Scientists say our planet is losing about 15 billion trees each year; that is about 56 acres of forest every minute. Nigeria, perhaps, has the highest rate of deforestation in the world, losing about 4,000 hectares annually, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). With demands for wood fuel, agricultural land and housing to cater for our ever increasing population, we plunder our forest. We bring the nation into disrepute, because we have not shown effort at getting rid of harmful waste in our country.

    Although, it is perceived as the duty of the government to enhance, maintain and enforce environmental laws. But, having noticed the non-performance of the government, individuals need to play roles in senstitising the public through campaigns and environmental advocacy.

    The government is expected to create terms of strategies, policies and enforcement to ensure that its citizens understand the urgent need to avert the impending danger; to grossly reduce the rate of logging, poaching, gas flaring and deforestation. There are worthy examples in some developed nations, Nigeria can and should take a cue.

    Nigeria’s vulnerability to environmental risk and lack of institutional capacity to respond to threats in a sustainable manner should serve as premise for an increased capacity, advocacy and funding towards environmental sensitisation and enforcement to save our nation from the impending peril ahead.

  • ERA wants Shell to relocate gas pipeline

    ERA wants Shell to relocate gas pipeline

    Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) has criticized Shell for passing gas pipelines across the surface of Kolo Creek at Ogbia Local Government Area (LGA) in Bayelsa.

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) is running gas pipelines across Kolo Creek at Imiringi in Ogbia LGA.

    In a field report made available to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yenagoa, on Monday, ERA/FoEN noted that running oil and gas pipelines across water surface was an environmental anomaly that runs against best practices.

    The report was signed by Head of Field Operations at ERA/FoEN Mr Alagoa Morris.

    ERA/FoEN described the development as ‘environmental terrorism’ and should not be allowed.

    The NGO urged the relevant agencies of government, especially the federal and Bayelsa Ministry of Environment to wade into the matter urgently, as the pipeline hinders navigation.

    The report quoted residents of Imiringi community as saying that the pipelines across the water surface of the creek affected water transportation as well as obstructed canoes used for fishing and evacuation of farm produce.

    The NGO quoted Mr Naru Emesua an engineer and resident of the community as saying that the gas pipeline ought to have been buried five feet below the water surface.

    “But what we now see is about two feet above the water level. That is why it has affected navigation on the creek.

    “Most of our women use this creek to access their farms, fishing and business connections to some communities in Rivers State.

    “The economic significance of this creek to our people is immense, especially when you consider the fact that we can access the Orashi River through it.

    “And the crude oil slick we have observed on the creek currently is disturbing. This is harmful and that is why we are calling on Shell to come and carry out proper cleanup of the creek it has polluted.” Emesua said

    ERA/FoEN urged Shell to return to the site and correct the environmental anomaly in the interest of environmental and social justice and investigate the source of the oil leak found in the area..

    “The National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency and Bayelsa Ministry of Environment should visit the Kolo Creek and ask Shell to take immediate steps to clean up all traces of crude oil slick found between SPDC’s Kolo Creek Logistics Base and Imiringi community and beyond.

    “The people cannot continue to suffer and pay the price of crude oil exploitation simply because the resources were found in their environment.

    “If there are no current oil leaks within the environment, it means Shell is deliberately pouring crude oil into the Kolo Creek; the peoples’ only natural source of drinking water,” the NGO stated.

    Mr Precious Okolobo, SPDC’s Media Relations Manager declined comments on the matter (NAN)

  • ‘Political will needed for environmental sustainability’

    The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has called for political will on the part of Nigerian leaders in the implementation of resolutions and decisions adopted by the United Nations, especially as they affect the environment. He regretted that some of the previous agreements signed on environmental issues were never implemented.

    Saraki, who spoke while receiving a delegation of the Working Group on Environmental Audit of African Organisation of the Supreme Audit Institutions (AFROSAI WGEA) to the National Assembly, acknowledged that some of the issues already highlighted remained to be implemented due to absence of appropriate political will by leaders.

    “We need to ask who is making sure that they are being implemented. By the time we leave all those conferences as politicians, we shake hands with ourselves, we take pictures, but the real issues remain; are these commitments ever implemented?” he asked.

    Commending the Group for their initiative on the environment, the Senate President assured that it would play a key role in ensuring that some of the environmental policies and solutions that have been put aside were addressed.

    His words: “We don’t need to wait every 10 years for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to do reports. Groups like this, can keep us constantly on our toes and I appreciate the fact that the Auditor-General have also decided to identify ways, apart from your core mandate, of addressing the issues of environment.”

    Leader of the delegation, Mrs. Mbah Acha Rose Fomundam, said the organisation was mandated to contribute to the understanding of some specific issues linked to environmental auditing, facilitate the exchange of information and experiences among Supreme Audit Institutions.

    She added that the body had the mandate to improve standards and tools for environmental audit, including dissemination of guidelines and other current materials on the environment.

    According to her, the theme of this year’s Group meeting hosted in Nigeria was: “Working together for a sustainable and healthy environment in Africa”, pointing out that the theme called global citizens to respect the environment, the common heritage without which no life was possible.

    She noted that environmental sustainability has become a global challenge, synonymous to responsibility towards future generations. She, however, expressed confidence that through many initiatives, conferences and summits, world leaders came to the understanding that the natural resources of the earth were not unlimited.”

  • Mobile court to try environmental offenders

    The chairman of Kwali area council Joseph Shazin has revealed that his administration will use mobile courts as the last resort to deal with persons caught engaging in improper dumping of refuse in the area.

    Shazin who disclosed this recently while speaking with journalists, explained that the mobile court will help to make residents abide by the environmental rules in the area.

    He stressed that despite all measures put in place by the council, some residents are defiant of such measures and had continuously dispose their waste where they are not supposed to.

    The chairman added that one of the measures his administration intends to take to overcome the menace is to embark on massive sensitization on the importance of keeping a clean and healthy environment.

    He said the council is coming up with the old ways of monthly environmental sanitation exercise, adding that the exercise will keep the residents on their toes, to do the needful and help to make the council clean.

    “We need to tackle the issue of refuse disposal fast, before it overwhelms us. It is very important to keep our environment clean at all times. This we cannot achieve, unless we have the support of the residents of the council. I am calling on them to abide by the rules.

    “We might introduce the monthly environmental sanitation. This will help us a great deal. The mobile court again is another way of keeping the residents in line. We will also embark on rigorous sensitization exercise, because a healthy environment is what we want to achieve,” he said.

  • Kia cuts environmental impact of car manufacturing

    Kia cuts environmental impact of car manufacturing

    Kia Motors Corporation has made significant progress in reducing the environmental impact of its production facilities, according to the company’s annual ‘MOVE’ sustainability report.

    The Korean car manufacturer’s ongoing efforts to introduce more environmentally sustainable production methods have, over the past one year, resulted in lower greenhouse gas emissions levels, less waste and reduced water use across its domestic production sites. These have been achieved with a strong focus on recycling, employee sustainability initiatives, reducing unit waste and cleaner, more modern production methods.

    Kia’s domestic plants, located in Sohari, Gwangju and Hwasung, Korea, accounted for 56.5 per cent of all Kia global production in 2015 – 1.72 million units. While the company’s year-on-year global sales grew by 0.3 per cent in 2015, to 3.05 million units, the ongoing focus on sustainability across the brand’s manufacturing facilities has minimised the environmental impact of this growth.

    Kia’s focus on improving production methods has resulted in a 12.4 per cent per-unit reduction in the volume of raw materials required since 2014 and a 21.5 per cent reduction since 2003. This includes a 22.1 per cent drop in the amount of steel needed to produce each individual car, as well as an 11.7 per cent drop in the consumption of paint throughout the same period since 2003.

    As a result of this push for greater efficiency, Kia has recorded a 1.2 per cent reduction in per-unit waste output since 2014 – and a 30 per cent decrease since 2003. In 2015, the three domestic production sites generated a total of 233,442 tons of waste, down 0.2 per cent from the previous year despite the growth in production. Meanwhile, recycling rates have risen, with the company finding alternative uses for 93.7 per cent (219,000 tons) of all waste materials. For instance, unused zinc-coated steel is sent to steelmakers in Korea, while uncoated steel can be recycled for use at the foundry in Kia’s Gwangju facility. Kia has also introduced programs to recycle and re-use paint and thinners, while other waste is being used to make cement for construction, as well as other materials.

    Waste materials that can’t be reused or recycled are incinerated or buried, with landfill waste totalling near 1 per cent of all factory waste. The Sohari manufacturing facility, with a production capacity of 340,000 cars per year, has generated 0 per cent landfill waste since 2008.

  • Cost of environmental compliance high, says MAN

    Cost of environmental compliance high, says MAN

    The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) on Wednesday lamented that the cost of being environmentally compliant is high and has continued to generate serious concern for manufacturers.

    The Association, therefore, called on the government to harmonise the functions of the various environmental regulatory agencies, with a view to reducing the cost of compliance.

    The Chairman, MAN, Apapa branch, Mr. Babatunde Odunayo, made this known while delivering his address at the 7th edition of the Mandatory Environmental Seminar held in Lagos.

    The seminar was organised by MAN, Apapa branch, as part of its advisory services aimed at eliciting voluntary compliance by member-companies to globally accepted environmental standards and the Nigeria environmental laws.

    At the seminar with the theme ‘Constructive Engagement of the Nigerian Manufacturers Towards Sustainable, Clean and Safe Environment,’ Odunayo said because of the high cost of environmental compliance, manufacturers have long been requesting the harmonisation of the functions of the regulatory agencies.

    He, however, expressed regrets that such request has so far remained “a cry yet to be heard.” He said rather than yield to the Association’s request, the regulatory agencies continued to inundate manufacturers with “unimaginable demands, with very stringent imposition of fines for failure to comply.”

    Odunayo said: “We have to contend with the Federal agency, the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) and Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA).”

    He added that local government councils also have environmental and health inspectorate departments. “There are too many interventions for the same objective,” Odunayo pointed out. He said the way forward is to chart a path towards a progressive, but non-oppressive disposition in managing environmental compliance issues with the manufacturing sector.

    The MAN chief however, said in the face of aggressive intervention by state and federal government agencies, the Association has continued to provide value-added advisory services to member-companies in order to provide relief and comfort to helpless manufacturers.

    He stated that the seminar cum workshop provides a veritable platform for having a collaborative engagement with the environmental regulatory agencies. “This year’s edition is happening at a time when we just concluded our Best Kept Environmental Premises Inspection Competition (BKIPC),” he stated.

    According to him, the programme was established seven years ago by the branch to encourage members’ compliance to health, safety and environmental regulations and also monitor yearly, their environmental consciousness thus, encouraging the improvement of quality control of business processes.

    “Also, the intended impact of this seminar was to further underscore the importance the Association attaches to issues of environmental sanitation, pollution and to public private engagement,” he added.

    The Lagos Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Samuel Babatunde Adejare, encouraged manufacturers to endeavour to protect their environment. “Environment is life: if there is no environment, there is no life,” he said, urging companies who cut corners during factory inspections to have a change of attitude.

  • Environmental sanitation key to malaria prevention

    Environmental sanitation key to malaria prevention

    Key players in the health sector have urged Nigerians to clean their environment, especially by draining stagnant water to put malaria, a disease caused by anopheles mosquitoes, at bay.

    They said malaria thrives in dirty environment, thus cleaning the surroundings is non-negotiable to rid the country of the disease.

    The forum was the 1000-man walk in Lagos to commemorate the World Malaria Day. The theme was: End malaria for good.

    A consultant at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH),Dr Omolola Salako, said environment sanitation is a good strategy, which must be promoted to discourage  mosquitoes from breeding.

    Besides this, people should sleep under the long lasting insecticide nets (LLINs).

    “They should also test for malaria before they commence treatment. This is because there are several diseases, which present themselves as a fever. So, people must be sure its malaria before taking medications,” she said.

    Marketing Director, Greenlife Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Mr Olufemi Ayekun, said malaria kills over 500,000 people yearly across the world.

    According to him, one person dies every minute to the seemingly preventable disease.

    He also advocated a clean environment devoid of stagnant water and dirt.

    “We must clear our environment to stop mosquitoes from breeding. In Lagos, we must do something about canals that are opened. People should stop throwing their wastes, especially nylon and cans into the drainage that water should be flowing through. All these are breeding areas for mosquitoes,” he said.

    Quoting the World Health Organisation (WHO), Ayekun said people should have a malaria test, which is the gold standard,  before starting the treatment.

    “The Federal Government should declare a war against malaria because mosquitoes bite people in the car, at offices and in homes. The disease is everywhere in the country,” he said.

    Nollywood diva Foluke Daramola said many people see malaria as a common illness, adding that the danger it poses is unimaginable.

    “We are walking to make people aware of the danger associated with the disease. When the common man sees what we are doing to prevent malaria, they might be spurred to take the issue more seriously,” she said.

    Another Nollywood star Chioma Apotha said everybody should be involved in the fight against malaria.

    She said malaria affects everybody, and as such, it should be tackled headlong.

    An advocate for better healthcare, Eniola Salu, said many lives are lost to malaria daily.

    She said malaria has continued to thrive because of poor environment sanitation, adding that people need to change their attitude so that it can be totally eradicated.

  • Environmental degradation: LASG to restore Oshodi

    After enjoying commendable sanity, especially in the early years of the last administration in the state, Oshodi, an area noted for its beehive of commercial activities, is fast losing the beauty and sanity it once enjoyed. Indeed, while the former governor Babatunde Fashola administration got thumbs up for the unbelievable transformation it brought to the Oshodi metropolis, this transformation began to systematically fall apart, and gradually returning the area to the notoriety it was noted for, especially in the twilight of the administration.

    For instance, from the early hours of the evenings, from 6:00pm up to 11:30pm, journeying through Oshodi is a nightmare, as mini buses take over the entire road, parking and loading passengers indiscriminately. The presence of policemen and other law enforcement agents has not helped matters, as they also turn a blind eye to the lawlessness perpetuated by the bus drivers, and extorting money from them. This, it is believed, has emboldened the commercial bus drivers on this route.

    Now, the Lagos State Government has expressed deep concern over the attitude of traders and mini buses operators on environmental degradation of Oshodi area occasioned by illegal street trading, hawking and indiscriminate parking habit on the road thereby creating heavy traffic bottleneck for other road users. The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of the Environment, Mr Oluwatoyin Onisarotu, during an assessment tour of the area, noted that the area had been littered with refuse dumps, human wastes, illegal shanties and stalls, illegal motor parks, street trading and noise pollution among others.

    Onisarotu, who emphasised that the state government remains unwavering in its commitment to a clean, hygiene and flood free environment urged traders and mini-buses operators in the area to desist from their indiscriminate loading and off-loading of passengers and goods on the main road, adding that open urination and defecation, indiscriminate dumping of refuse into drains and unapproved sites, illegal street trading/hawking, indiscriminate displaying of goods/wares on drainage alignment, road set-backs, trading along the railway line, medians are forbidden by the State Environmental Sanitation Law.

    He stressed that the peace, security and health of the people living and doing legal business in this environment is being compromised daily through the indiscipline being perpetuated in the area daily.

  • Buhari approves environmental clean-up of Ogoniland

    President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday approved several actions to fast-track the implementation of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) Report on  Ogoniland in Rivers State.

    The approval, according to a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, were based on the recommendations by UNEP’s Executive Director, the UNEP Special Representative for Ogoniland, permanent secretaries in the Federal Ministries of Environment and Petroleum Resources and other stakeholders.

    The approvals include the amendment to the Official Gazette establishing the Hydrocarbon Pollution Restoration Project (HYPREP) to reflect a new governance framework, comprising a Governing Council, a Board of Trustees (BoT) and Project Management.

    The statement reads: “The President further approved that the HYPREP Governing Council should be composed as follows: Ministry of Petroleum Resources – one representative; Federal Ministry of Environment – one representative; Impacted States (Rivers) – one representative; Oil Companies and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) – four representatives; Ogoniland – two representatives; United Nations System – one representative; Secretariat – headed by the Project Manager.

    “He (President) also approved the composition of a BoT for the HYPREP Trust Fund as follows: Federal Government – one representative; NNPC – one representative; International oil companies – one representative; Ogoniland – one representative and United Nations System – one representative.”

    Following a meeting on the directive of President Buhari, the statement said it was also agreed that a contribution deposit of $10 million would be made by stakeholders within 30 days of the appointment of members of the BoT for the trust fund, who would be responsible for collecting and managing funds from contributors and donors.

    “A new implementation template has also been evolved at the instance of President Buhari, and the environmental clean-up of Ogoniland will commence in earnest with the President’s inauguration of the HYPREP Governing Council and the Board of Trustees for the Trust Fund,” the statement added.

  • Ganduje and environmental sanitation

    SIR: Immediately Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State was sworn in, his first official assignment was to flag-off his environmental sanitation programme under the tag ‘Keep Kano Clean’. The programme ran through the whole of June. During the operation, the governor promised to make Kano clean always to the delight of the Kano citizens and also to employ more environmental health workers, precisely women for more thorough sanitary inspection of residential premises.

    I will encourage the governor to go further as environmental health (the way many politicians, administrators and even many health workers look at it), is beyond just getting rid of waste and refuse off the environment; it is the major driving force of public health practice globally.

    Environmental health is basis of public health practice that is concerned with the technologies of promoting health, preventing disease, and prolonging life through well-organized integrated environmental interventions based on community participation, institutional efforts/support, and integrated research. It has components, like Health, Safety and Environment (HSE), epidemiological investigation and control, water resources management and sanitation, environmental health control of housing and sanitation, food hygiene and safety, environmental health impact assessment, among others.

    Considering the importance of Kano as a centre of commerce and politics, there is a need for the governor to look at all the components areas with vigour and determination.

    The government should domesticate some national policy guidelines like national policy on injection safety and healthcare waste management; policy guidelines on excreta and sewage management; policy guidelines on pest and vector control; policy guidelines on market and abattoir sanitation; policy guidelines on school sanitation; policy guidelines on sanitary inspection of premises; policy guidelines on solid waste management; and policy guidelines on environmental sanitation.

    The fulcrum of these should be the amendment of Public Health Edict No 4, of 1985 to be in tune with the current trends as its affect Kano State for the smooth implementation of these activities.

    I dare say if the governor gives maximum attention to environmental health accordingly, which is the norm in the countries that value their health, and its practitioners reciprocate the gesture, 70% of disease burden in the state will be controlled and prevented, for our health problems are environmentally based.

    I wish the new governor the best as he leads Kano to greater height.

     

    • Mohammed Sani Garba ,

    New Hospital Road, Gyadi-Gyadi, Kano.