Nigeria@65: Expert seeks new laws for environment, citizens’ protection
Executive Director, Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation (GIFSEP), Dr. Michael David, says there is a need for new laws in Nigeria to protect its people and environment.
David spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja in commemoration of Nigeria’s 65th Independence Day Celebration.
He said that after 65 years of independence, Nigeria needed a law to match its current realities–robust enough to protect people, ecosystems, and future development.
“At independence in 1960, Nigeria’s environment was relatively intact; vast forest cover, healthy mangrove ecosystems in the Niger-Delta, largely clean rivers, low industrial pollution and fewer people, less urban pressure.
Buy vitamins and supplements
“Over the decades, the country has witnessed massive demographic growth from about 45 million in 1960 to more than 220 million today.
“It has witnessed rapid industrialisation, oil extraction, expansion of cities, and weak regulatory regimes have severely degraded air, water, land and biodiversity.’’
According to him, deforestation has accelerated as Nigeria loses more than 350,000 hectares of forest per year.
“Mangrove zones have been damaged by repeated oil spills since the 1950s; estimates suggest Nigeria has spilled around 13 million barrels of oil in the Niger-Delta, heavily impacting mangrove forests.
“Water pollution has become a grave issue in many mining communities and many urban rivers are contaminated by industrial effluent in levels far above WHO safety limits.
“Air quality has worsened significantly; urban centres often record PM2.5 levels that are many times above safe standards, with Port Harcourt regularly exhibiting hazardous black soot levels linked to illegal refining and gas flaring.”
He said that flooding and extreme weather had become more frequent and destructive.
“The 2022 floods destroyed over 200,000 homes, displaced more than 1.4 million people, and damaged more than 300,000 hectares of farmland.
“Soil fertility in many agricultural areas has dropped; desertification is consuming once productive lands in northern Nigeria.
“Open defecation persists; almost 48 million Nigerians practice it, with serious health and environmental consequences.
“Regulatory tools remain outdated, weak, poorly enforced, and often ill-suited to modern challenges like climate change, health impacts, and social equity.
“This is where the #ESHIA Bill (Environmental, Social, and Health Impact Assessment Bill), which has passed first reading at the House of Representatives, becomes essential.’’
He said that the current Environmental Impact Assessment Act dated from 2004 lacked sufficient teeth for present scale of development and pollution.
David said that passing the ESHIA Bill would help ensure that new infrastructure, resource extraction, industrial and urban projects were assessed not only for environmental impact, but also for health and social consequences.
“The ESHIA Bill puts the people and the communities first and seeks to embed stronger standards, including free, prior, and informed consent of affected communities.
“Also it would ensure enforceable penalties, restructure oversight agencies to monitor compliance; and integration of disaster risk reduction.
“It would enshrine rights for communities that suffer from pollution, land loss, displacement, as well as provide clearer, enforceable guidelines to prevent future degradation,” he said.
By Abigael Joshua
