New National Policy on Environment
A revised National Policy on Environment was adopted by the Federal Executive Council [FEC] two days ago. The National Policy on Environment was first adopted in Nigeria in 1991 and was last revised in 1999, before the adoption of this new document. Outgoing Minister of Environment Mrs. Amina Mohammed said the new document looked at […]
A revised National Policy on Environment was adopted by the Federal Executive Council [FEC] two days ago. The National Policy on Environment was first adopted in Nigeria in 1991 and was last revised in 1999, before the adoption of this new document. Outgoing Minister of Environment Mrs. Amina Mohammed said the new document looked at “all the different inter-sectoral issues that we have whether it is with water, health, power or agriculture and bring them in to have a multi-sectoral response.” She also said, “It has become imperative that we have this new policy framework because what we really wanted to do is to capture some of the emerging issues that have come since then as regards environment. These concerns such as climate change, coastal erosion, desertification, erosion, pollution and insecurity which have been exacerbated by the struggles for environment resources, we see this in country at all levels.”
The minister said the new policy framework put in place a much better opportunity to engage with states, local governments and communities in protecting the environment. Last Wednesday’s FEC meeting was also a valedictory for the Environment Minister who is leaving to assume her new position as Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations. Having a revised national environmental policy in place was a fitting parting gift by Mrs Mohammed who, in her nearly two years’ stay at the Environment Ministry, has shown unusual passion and commitment to the job.
It is a pity that she will not be around to participate in the implementation of this policy. Her successors must however pick up from where she left off and rise to the challenge of protecting this country’s environment as a top national priority. As the outgoing minister said, the type, nature and intensity of environmental challenges has been evolving with time. Even though most of the oldest environmental issues such as deforestation, desert encroachment and gully erosion have been around for a long time, we did not find adequate solutions to them and many grew worse in scope and intensity over the years. Problems of aquatic, air, noise and solid waste pollution also grew worse with the burgeoning of urban areas, population growth and relentless consumption.
Alongside them arose other problems such as coastal pollution and climate change. The latter is probably the single biggest environmental challenge facing mankind. While the battle to address the causes of climate change and to mitigate its impact is global, every country must do its bit and Nigeria should not be left behind. Truth however is that we are poor performers even with respect to environmental problems that are local. Only last week, a House of Representatives’ ad hoc committee rose against illegal felling and export of wood from Nigeria. The committee’s mandate is to investigate massive deforestation and corruption in the environment sector and its effect on climate change, which is but one part of this country’s overall challenges in the environment sector.
Our failure to protect the environment has nothing to do with shortage of agencies or even of money. For example, the federal, state and local governments in Nigeria all have forestry departments. In addition there is a Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria, a Federal College of Forestry in Ibadan, forestry departments in many universities and river basin development authorities as well as ad hoc afforestation committees, projects and task forces, including a Great Green Wall agency. Yet, forests are being depleted in this country at an alarming rate, despite annual ceremonial tree planting campaigns. Few trees are being grown to replace them. Unless this situation is reversed and these multiple agencies are made to live up to their mandates, mere adoption of a new national policy document will do nothing to stem the relentless tide of environmental degradation.