Experts Urge Federal Government to Empower NESREA for Stricter Environmental Law Enforcement
Environmental specialists and stakeholders have strongly urged the Federal Government to empower the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, known as NESREA, to implement and enforce environmental laws more effectively against defaulting individuals and companies. This call was made during a workshop titled "Health, Safety & Environment (HSE), Circular Economy and Environmental Sustainability", organized by NESREA in collaboration with ACCAPPOCCO Global Services Nigeria Ltd, held in Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State.
Challenges in Environmental Compliance and Enforcement
The agency is tasked with enforcing federal environmental laws that cover waste management, air and water quality, chemical use, and monitoring industries for compliance. However, experts expressed concern that despite existing regulations, NESREA operatives face significant struggles in implementing and enforcing these laws against offenders whose activities harm public health. They emphasized that empowering NESREA with the authority to arrest and prosecute violators would serve as a deterrent, encouraging better compliance and helping to maintain a healthy environment.
Prof. Adewale Taiwo, an environmentalist from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, highlighted the urgent need for the Federal Government to attach security operatives, such as the police, to NESREA. This would enable the agency to arrest and prosecute individuals and companies that disobey environmental laws. He pointed out specific issues, such as the lack of septic tanks in some households, where sewage pipes are directed into waterways or streets, posing serious health risks. "The major challenges are that we don't have institutional capacity to handle all these things you are talking about," Taiwo stated, advocating for law enforcement support to ensure compliance.
Call for Government Support and Public Awareness
Another expert, Prof. John Oyedepo, urged the Federal Government to provide NESREA with the necessary supports to enforce laws and sanction culpable parties. He noted that sanctioning companies, particularly multinational corporations that dominate about 90% of Nigeria's Gross Domestic Product, could force broader compliance and reduce environmental pollution. "NESREA should tighten loose ends with the producers because some producers are careless, especially those foreign companies," Oyedepo remarked, stressing the importance of enforcing regulations from the production level down to consumers.
Additionally, experts called for the government to create effective awareness campaigns through radio, television, and newspapers to educate and caution individuals and companies about the harmful effects of indiscriminate waste disposal and hazardous substances. This public education effort is seen as crucial in complementing enforcement actions.
NESREA's Perspective on Enforcement Needs
Lanre Jimoh, the Coordinator of NESREA's Ogun State Field Office, echoed these sentiments, calling on the Federal Government to grant the agency the power to enforce existing laws against defaulters. He explained that NESREA has legal mechanisms in place, including a department that can take offenders to court for fines or imprisonment, but lacks the enforcement authority to act decisively. "We have enough laws, it is just the enforcement aspect that we need the power to embark upon, and once we start enforcing, you will see that more and more facilities will key into it," Jimoh added, emphasizing that legal actions would make companies more cautious.
In summary, the workshop underscored a collective push for stronger governmental backing to enhance NESREA's role in safeguarding Nigeria's environment through rigorous law enforcement and public awareness initiatives.
