Reps seek World Bank, UNIDO supports on environmental law, policy reform

THE leadership of House of Representatives is soliciting the support of major foreign donors and development agencies including World Bank, United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) in its renewed effort to engender effective and pragmatic environmental law and policies.

Other partners expected to partner with the House are: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS; office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation; Federal Ministries of Petroleum Resources and Environment; National Environmental Standard and Regulatory Enforcement Agency; Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency; Ecological Fund office and African Network for Environment and Economic Justice, LAPIN Reform, among others.

To this end, the House has inaugurated Technical Committee for the proposed National Stakeholders’ Summit on Environment on legislative framework for environmental law and policy, scheduled for October 3 to 5, 2017 in Abuja.

The Chairman, House Committee on Environment and Habitat, Hon Obinma Chidoka who inaugurated the Summit committee in Abuja at the weekend commended the support of the Acting President Yemi Osinbajo preparatory towards the Summit.

According to him, Osinbajo is to preside over the Townhall meeting on Environment during the Summit.

“We are very conscious of the grave threats posed by such issues as global warming, climate change, desertification, oil spillage, erosion, estate management and gas flaring, etc. In the context of the House Committee on Environment, we realize the importance of ensuring that our legislative framework on environment is robust a d comprehensive to sustain a virile policy framework for the environment governance and management.”

While soliciting for the cooperation of various stakeholders toward successful Summit, he expressed optimism that, “as experts and practitioners in the industry, with hands of experience, your contribution will greatly enhance our ideation of the summit. Governments and international organizations (IOs) across the world have made significant and widespread progress in development of polices and frameworks to meet the dynamic and increasing social, economic and environmental needs of mankind. Nigeria, has not been left behind in this respect.

“As a way of complementing the effort of the Federal Government of Nigeria in advancing the fortunes of our environment, the House of Representatives, in furtherance of its commitment to ensure a comprehensive overhaul of the legislative framework for the environment in Nigeria, has proposed a national stakeholders summit on environmental law and policy,” Chidoka said.

According to him, the Summit will afford participants the opportunity to interrogate relevant issues of concern on environment and contribute to the development of an appropriate legal framework to sustain a virile environment policy in Nigeria.

In his remarks, Chukwudi Oracle Nwala, of LAPIN Reform explained that the thematic session will look at the impact of the BrownHouse on water, pollution, industrialization, agriculture, oil and gas impact on environment as well as Greenhouse impact on natural resources, biodiversity, forestry, wildlife, fishery and conservative as well as various regulatory framework with the view to ensure effective management of environment.

Nwala who doubles as Summit Coordinator, also underlined the need to evaluate the impact of the extant policies and programmes; identify the missing link and recommend relevant amendments and repeal and re-enactment of laws where necessary.

The experts also emphasised the need for government at all levels to prioritize adequate funding for environment considering its contributions to national economy and development, adding that annual budget for environment should be second largest after security allocation.