The Minister of Environment, Mrs. Lawrentia Mallam has attributed the unsustainable exploration and exploitation of the Nigeria’s natural resources as the main reason for the plethora of environmental challenges in the country. She listed some of the challenges to include biodiversity loss, deforestation and desertification, erosion and flooding.

The Minister who spoke at the opening ceremony of the 8th National Stakeholders Forum of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, NESREA, in Abuja, posited that the country’s environment is at a cross road and has reached or is dangerously approaching tipping point in some areas.

She stated that the state of Nigeria’s environment calls for active engagement and participation of all stakeholders both from the public and private sectors, and at national, regional and global levels.

Her words: “The air we breathe is becoming more polluted than ever before from our indoor and outdoor activities, the water we drink is also increasingly being polluted and fouled by domestic, industrial and agricultural activities. Our landscape is being degraded and suffocated with all sorts of wastes, including electrical/electronic wastes and plastics of all sorts, the noise levels in our homes, work places and public areas have exceeded the acceptable levels.

We are becoming very uncomfortable, and at risk too due to environmental problems, wherever we find ourselves”.

The theme of this year’s forum was ‘Stakeholders’ Engagement in Environmental Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement.

The Minister asserted that “We have created the problems for ourselves by absolute disregard and  abuse of the extant laws and regulations bearing on the environment. We are  also failing in our civic responsibility to be active watchdogs and vanguards  against all forms of environmental crimes, by our actions and inactions. We  are distancing ourselves from the attributes of a clean and healthy environment.”

Earlier, the Director General, of the Agency Dr. Mrs Ngeri Benebor the forum offered “a unique opportunity to evaluate the gains so far, and to further deepen our understanding of stakeholders’ participation and engagement in environmental governance, particularly in the area of environmental compliance monitoring and enforcement.”

The Agency, Dr. Benebo stated, is willing to partner with all stakeholders, “We believe we can all work together to forge a common front for the environmental protection and sustainable development of our dear country, Nigeria.”