Environment
FG worries over environmental challenges, assures effective implementation of projects
The Federal Government on Monday expressed worry over environmental challenges but assured of effective implementation of projects, programmes and policies that would address such challenges appropriately across the country.
Chief Sharon Ikeazor, Minister of State for Environment, gave the assurance at a ministerial briefing organised by the ministry in Abuja.
Ikeazor said that the ministry would continue to strive in achieving the set mandates despite all challenges while repositioning the agencies in the ministry for effective implementation of policies, regulations and projects.
She said the purpose of the briefing was to update the public on the ministry`s priority areas of focus in 2022, adding that the challenges are adversely affecting the lives and livelihood of the people.
She said that Nigeria has been facing several environmental challenges from desertification in the North, to flooding and coastal erosion in the South, deforestation, land degradation, pollution, loss of biodiversity and adverse impacts of climate change.
According to her, “we have been working with development partners, line ministries, MDAs, NGOs and CSOs, to address and ameliorate these problems through our policies, action plans and environmental regulations and projects.
She said that the ministry had established several policies to ensure that the problems are address, adding that some of the policies are in the National Policy on Environment.
She added that policies include the National policy on solid waste management, National Policy on Plastic waste management, National Action plan on gender and climate change, among others.
“In the area of afforestation, the national afforestation programme, under the green bond project, has successfully forested 6,191,363 hectares of land implemented by the Forest Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN),
“In addition, a total of 6,550,056 seedlings raised, distributed to state governments and institutions, were planted by FRIN,’’ she said.
Ikeazor said that Nigeria is classified as one of the 10th most vulnerable countries in the world climate change, adding that it has really posed a serious threat to poverty eradication and sustainable development in general.
“This is because the country has a large rural population that lives on climate-sensitive economic and development sectors agriculture and fisheries and natural resources, such as water, biodiversity and grassland.
“The cost of not addressing climate change or not adapting to it is very high and certainly the social consequences are enormous.
“In this regard, we have made significant strides in the area of climate change adaptation by developing a National Adaptation Communication (ADCOM) document,” she said.
The minister said that the document provided a mechanism for Nigeria to report “priorities, implementation and support needs, plans and actions”.
She said that the most critical step taken towards playing effective role in climate change mitigation and adaptation was the realization of the Climate Change Act in November 2021.
“The Act provides for the establishment of the National Council on Climate Change, which will have the powers of policy making and decisions on all matters related to climate change in Nigeria.
“Nigeria’s Climate Change law provides a legal framework for Nigeria’s efforts at Climate Change mitigation and adaptation in an overarching manner.
“The Act establishes the Climate Change Fund which will help Nigeria address issues of adaptation, loss and damage, innovations to reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions, development of technology for renewable energy and transition to a green economy.
“Meanwhile, as part of efforts to ensure that the country meets its target of attaining net zero by 2060, the Act provides for the phenomenon of carbon budgeting.
“The carbon budgeting will be set in a five-yearly cycle with annual targets assigned to private and public entities, with the council imbued with the powers to monitor and ensure that set budgets and targets are met as at when due.
Ikeazor said that the ministry would continue to collaborate with other relevant stakeholders to ensure that environmental challenges are effectively tackled across the country.
Mr Hassan Musa, Permanent Secretary in the ministry, said that the environment was one of the most dynamic of all sectors in the life of humanity.
Musa said that the concern for the ministry was mandated to ensure effective coordination of all environmental matters, which were hitherto fragmented and domiciled in different line ministries.
“It has focused on evolving innovative strategies that emphasize the use of environmental re-engineering as a veritable tool for poverty eradication, food security, sustainable economic development and improvement in the livelihood of the Nigerian populace,’’ he said. (NAN)
Environment
Prolonged Public Holidays Come with Negative Economic Effects on Citizens – Anambra Residents
Anambra residents have slammed the additional day approved by the Federal Government for the Muslim faithful to celebrate the 2024 Eid-Ei-Fitr, saying this will have negative effects on the economy.
The Federal government had early declared April 9 and 10 as Muslim-Ummah for the successful completion of a month’s spiritual rejuvenation.
Reports says that residents of Anambra capital city believe that the additional day which they did not plan for will result in economic hardship to the citizenry.
Most respondents believe that people had planned to resume their economic activities instead of wasting their time staying at home doing nothing..
Former Chairman, Awka Chamber of Commerce, Chief Felly Akosa, described the additional day to the two days approved earlier as “unfair to the economy of the country as people were unprepared for the additional day.
Akosa said that although it is right for the Muslim faithful to celebrate their holiday after a month-long fasting, the process needs to be carefully planned for in place of the additional rest day which could inhibit business activities.
Chief Damian Okeke-Ogene, National Vice President of Igbo Apex Social Cultural body, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, said the policy would cause huge economic waste as businesses are put on hold,
He advised that, in future, a proper and well planned programme needs to be in place before declaring a public holiday for any celebration that will be national.
“Our economy and other sectors are not very healthy,” and it would, therefore be appropriate to plan well to avoid declarations that will hamper the citizens’ welfare.
Mazi Christian Beluchukwu, a business man in Awka, described the extension of the Eid-El-Fitr public holiday to Thursday, April 11, as an added hardship for the citizenry.
Beluchukwu said that any public holiday for three days, April 9 to 11, to celebrate any feast in the country is an economic loss to the nation.
He said that it was best to stick to the two-day national public holidays as this gives room for the people to plan their activities very well.
He stated that his wife went to a public hospital on Tuesday and was unattended to because there was no doctor on seat to provide medical attention.
“She resorted to visiting a private hospital which cost extra money which the public hospital is expected to handle at a reasonable cost. (NAN)
Environment
World Bank Fund: Corporation Rehabilitates Treatment Plant, Reticulation in Jos South
The Jos Water Services Corporation (JWSC) has said that the World Bank fund received would be used to boost water supply to Bukuru and environs in Jos South Local Government Area.
Mr Apollos Samchi, the Managing Director of the corporation, said that N1.7 billion would be expended on the rehabilitation of water treatment plant, over head steel tank and laying of pipes to homes of consumers.
Samchi, who disclosed this on Friday in Jos, during a two-day capacity building workshop, said that the projects were expected to be completed in four months.
Reports says that the workshop organised for contractors has at its theme: “Implementation of Environmental and Social Management Plans for Projects in Jos South.
The MD said that the projects would ensure steady provision of potable water to residents in Gyel and Kurgiya in Jos South Local Government Area.
He said the treatment plant when rehabilitated would pump out 5,000 cubic litres of water daily.
The MD further stated that the reticulation exercise would cover residents who weren’t initially connected to public water supply in the area.
Samchi said that the essence of the workshop was to ensure that the contractors were trained to develop adequate measures and controls to minimise and mitigate potential environmental and social risks that could adversely affect the project implementation.
He called on all the contractors handling the projects to ensure that they adhered to the environmental and safety standards and deliver within the specified timeframe.
In his remarks, Mr Jonathan Malann, the Plateau Project Coordinator, Sustainable Urban, Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene programme (SURWASH), also advised contractors to adhere to the environmental and safety standards as provided by the World Bank.
The Federal Government had received $700m financing from the World Bank to ensure that all its people have access to sustainable and safely managed WASH services.
The seven participating states are Plateau, Delta, Ekiti, Gombe, Imo, Katsina, and Kaduna.(NAN)
Environment
Erosion Control Project: Gombe SEC Approves N389m Compensation for Residents
The Gombe State Executive Council (SEC) has approved payment of N389 million as compensation for residents that would be affected by the gully erosion control project at Federal College of Education (FCE) Technical and its surrounding communities.
The Commissioner for Finance, Gombe State, Malam Mohammed Magaji, stated this at the end of the SEC meeting on Friday in Gombe.
Magaji said the payment, which would commence immediately, would be for individuals and organisations along the gully erosion site.
He said almost 1000 persons were expected to benefit from the gesture.
According to him, the compensation is part of the requirements of the World Bank, which specifies that such payments be made to property owners.
Magaji said the payment would also be made to ensure seamless resettlement of affected persons.
“The beneficiaries are in hundreds, almost a 1,000 people; there is compensation for houses, and also for business premises.
“There is also stipends for the elderly living around that area so that they are able to have good livelihood,” he said.
The commissioner for Education, Hajiya Aishatu Maigari, also said the SEC approved upgrade of the five mega senior secondary schools in the state to sustain improvement in the education sector.
Maigari said the upgrade would be carried out based on the needs of each of the schools.
She stated that infrastructure in some of the schools were already being upgraded to global standards.
“We have seen construction of toilets, installation of solar-powered light, construction of roads, school clinics, boreholes and many more,” she said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state government had on Nov. 23 signed a N12 billion contract with Triacta Nigeria Ltd. for a 21-kilometre gully erosion control work in six communities within Gombe metropolis.
The project is under ACRESAL project, a World Bank-assisted project to address the challenges of land degradation and climate change in northern Nigeria. (NAN)