Amid some drama, Abbas Lawal Balarabe, President Bola Tinubu’s nominee for Environment Minister, was recently confirmed by the Senate. Paul Omologbe It examines issues that need to be addressed in the environmental field in Nigeria.
Nigeria, like other countries around the world, faces a number of environmental challenges that have a major impact on people and ecosystems. According to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), “In Nigeria, as elsewhere, these environmental challenges hinder efforts to achieve sustainable development.”
Nigeria’s major environmental issues include deforestation, desertification, oil pollution, air pollution, water pollution, waste management, open defecation, and of course, climate change. These are a number of issues that Mr. Abbas Lawal Balarabe, who has become Minister of the Environment, must address.
Environmental issues in Nigeria
“Environmental issues came to official attention in Nigeria with the Koko hazardous waste dumping incident in 1988, and the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA), the Federal Ministry of Environment and other relevant agencies in the country Chinyere Adaku Onuoha, Nnaemeka Chinedu, Edake Ochekwu and Philip Onuoha also highlighted the urgent need for the establishment of a This is stated in a paper titled “Awareness: A Review”.
The paper added: “Environmental pollution is related to human activities and, to a lesser extent, long-term human contact with the environment.” As the population of a country increases, environmental abuse and pollution intensify, especially as technological improvements put strain on the environment and affect people’s lives and other living things accordingly.
Nigeria has a population of about 200 million people, and the researchers added that “Nigeria’s growing population is having a negative impact on the environment.” As the population grows, the need for shelter, food, and survival arises. Therefore, as the land area does not increase, competition occurs between the growing population within the same land area. ”
waiting
After the announcement of Minister of Environment Ishaku Salako and other substantive ministers of state, Nigerians had to wait for about two months to find out who would be appointed as Minister of Environment.
During the waiting period, Seyfunmi Adebote, a young environmental activist, struggled with the type of person he should appoint as Minister of Environment.
He said: “Nigeria has the potential to lead the conversation on climate change, first on the African continent, and then become a model for the rest of the world. A lot of that depends on who the environment minister is. , we’ve seen ministers appointed on the basis of political affiliation, or based on personal relationships or some kind of compensation. That’s politics, but we still have talented people who tick the boxes. I believe that we can find the right people.
“My hope is that when the Minister is announced, he will take into account that young people are leading voices not only in advocacy but also in providing solutions around climate change and other environmental issues. , to be someone who can empathize with young people’s situation.”
He added that the environment minister must have some experience in the environmental field and be familiar with relevant international organizations, laws and treaties.
However, President Bola Tinubu sent Abbas Lawal Balarabe to the Senate for confirmation last Tuesday.
Balarabe, a 65-year-old man from Kaduna, replaced former Kaduna state governor Nasir El-Rufai after the Senate refused to confirm him as a minister in August.
His appearance in the Senate for consideration last Wednesday was not without drama, as he passed out on the podium shortly after introducing himself and describing some of his accomplishments. It was later revived and approved by the Senate that same day.
Balarabe, who hails from Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State, is said to have obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1981 and a Masters degree in Political Science from the same university in 1986.
Immediately after Nigeria returned to democracy in May 1999, Balarabe served as Special Assistant to the Federal Minister of Education in Abuja from September 1999 to February 2001. From February 2001 to May 2003 he served as Special Assistant to the Secretary of State. (Army) Ministry of Defense.
From July 2003 to July 2007, he served as Special Assistant to the President in the Federal Capital Territory and Chief of Staff to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja.
He served as the head of the Kaduna state government under the El-Rufai administration from 2015 to 2023.
the task before the minister
Civil society and private sector environmentalists say the new minister has enough to do.
“The task for the new environment minister is enormous because this sector is about ensuring the health of the environment,” said Philip Jakpol, a Lagos-based environmental activist.
He added: “However, we expect him to work with experts to deliver on his mandate. The pressing issues awaiting him include ensuring Nigeria meets its climate change commitments. implementation, increasing demand for comprehensive environmental audits in the Niger Delta, and desertification in the north.
“He also has to navigate the intersection between his ministry and other ministries.”
In his opinion, Nimmo Bassey, Director of Mother Earth Health Foundation (HOMEF):
“The next step would be to declare an environmental emergency for the whole country. You could then create a hierarchy of key areas and set an agenda that your successor can continue. This agenda would include all other ministries. This should include ensuring that organizations understand the intersectional nature of their environment and respond accordingly.
“The federal government should consider the environment as fundamental to our social and economic life.
“He should pay special attention to looting and ecocide in the extractive sector (oil, gas, coal, solid minerals).
“To free Nigeria from the onslaught of genetically modified organisms (GMO) suppliers, an overhaul to eliminate vested interests in the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) and the National Biotechnology Development Authority (NABDA) is overdue” It becomes.”
Gboyega Olorunfemi, an environment and sustainability expert, said: “In the face of challenging micro-economic factors and new global events, the Minister of Environment is left to do his job at the moment.
“The first line of action will be to track the integration of climate change into the new government’s existing action plan and present Nigeria’s position heading into COP28,” Olorunfemi said.
He added that the new minister should “implement the Climate Change Act 2021 across the state”.
“The National Climate Change Council (NCC) needs to galvanize much-needed international attention and resources.
“Nigeria needs a comprehensive National Adaptation Plan (NAP) that gives Nigeria a comprehensive view of environmental issues, from local governments to state governments.
“Post-NAP, we need to invest in the Nigerian Green National Agenda, which will serve as a negotiating ‘toolbook’ in all global initiatives. All stakeholders, including civil society, the private sector, and development partners, will contribute to the toolbook and it will be made available to all.
“The Toolbook focuses resources on climate-related initiatives such as energy through renewable sources, climate finance, climate education, the circular economy, and smart agriculture, while promoting interagency synergies to address long-term environmental challenges. It will be a national vehicle for mobilization.”
He concluded as follows: “Nigeria’s voice is missing in the world when it comes to environmental activism. This speaks clearly when it comes to the transition to net zero. We must regain that confidence and make ourselves visible.”
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