By Funmi Olasupo

The Minister of Environment, Mrs. Laurentia Mallam has charged members of the recently inaugurated National Steering Committee and Technical Committee on Environment Statistics to ensure that Nigeria puts the United Nations revised framework on environment statistics to use in developing the country’s environment.

She maintained that there could not be a healthier management of the environment without credible and reliable data which, according to her, becomes imperative for the development of environmental statistics in the country.

Vangaurd Homes & Property learnt that the dearth of up-to-the-minute and effective data is hampering environmental sustainability in the country. It is the view of stakeholders that if statistics on environment are adequately utilized in the country, Nigeria will progress at a faster pace with better environmental potentials and prospects than currently being witnessed

As of today, there is no coordinating office recognised by the United Nations that manages comprehensive statistics on environment in the country.

Part of the information sheet from the ministry reads: “People use different methods in collecting statistics and they have different indicators they are using or looking for; they collect whatever is of interest to them but what is expected internationally is that there is a required format and we are not there yet. The statistics are there but in their raw form and there are lots of gaps because most of what is known are outdated.”

Also speaking at the inauguration of the committee, the Permanent Secretary in the Environment Ministry, Mrs. Rabi Jimeta said the country needs accurate, reliable and qualitative environmental data to help it tackle the mirage of challenges facing the environment.

According to her, given the fact that the national environment statistic is scientific, the nation needs the right equipment, a cost-consuming fund to be able to generate and sustain a data bank that it could proud of.

Mr Odele Muyiwa, an official of the UNDP noted that “statistical information is essential for understanding our complex and rapidly changing world. We cannot discuss the issue of environment if we discard the place of environmental statistics in solving our ever-increasing environmental problems”.

He described environment statistics as integrative. “It measures human activities and natural events that affect the environment, monitor the impacts on the environment and the social responses to environmental impacts.

It is indispensable for evidence-based policies and decision making to support sustainable development.”