NESREA, NNRA join forces for better policing on environment

CONCERNED by the problem of environmental pollution and degradation, two  federal regulatory agencies, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency and the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority, have agreed to form a  pact for effective policing of the environment.

The decision to work together by the agencies was made known at the headquarters of the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority during a courtesy call by the NESREA management team led by the Director-General, Dr Lawrence Anukam.

Anukam, in his speech, said inter-agency collaboration became imperative for adequate environmental monitoring as all dangerous releases, especially radio-nuclides occur in the environment where NESREA has overall responsibility having developed appropriate environmental management tools such as the environmental regulations among which are the National Environmental (Energy Sector) Regulations.

He said that specific provisions of the regulations required project proponents to conduct Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) while NESREA is tasked with monitoring compliance.

“So this lends credence to the need for both agencies to collaborate to protect the environment and human health”, he added.

Dr Anukam further disclosed that the agency, as a parastatal of the Federal Ministry of Environment, was set up by an Act (2007) to halt or stop any process that would undermine the environment, saying “So we need to guard against those things by collaboration and information exchanges”.

Responding, Professor Lawrence Dim Anikwe , the Director General of NNRA, praised the efforts of the Director-General, NESREA in bringing both agencies together to ensure a safe and healthy environment for Nigerians.

He told his guests that NNRA deals with all issues of ionizing radiations and devices that emit ionizing radiations.

Anikwe, stated that while Nigeria was looking towards nuclear energy to provide for sufficient power supply, the challenges involved require the collaboration with NESREA to protect the environment and human health.

Professor Anikwe agreed that there were legal grounds for both agencies to collaborate especially to build capacity of officers, amongst others as well as forming a joint committee to actualize the decision.

“The task of policing the environment would be more successful and effective with the collaboration in place”, he said.