NESREA closes 46 facilities for environmental violations – EnviroNews

The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has closed 46 facilities in 10 Nigerian states for multiple violations of the National Environmental Regulations (NER).

This information was contained in a circular signed on Friday, July 5, 2024, in Abuja by Mrs. Amaka Ejiofor, Deputy Director of Press Affairs of the agency.

According to her, the violations, which occurred in Borno, Gombe, Ogun, Enugu, Edo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Nasarawa and Taraba states, include violations of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Act and the failure of plants to develop and implement an Environmental Management Plan (EMP).

Other reasons for the inspection given by the Ombudsman include the lack of a sewage treatment plant, the inability to obtain appropriate permits for operation, poor housekeeping and failure to submit a detailed environmental audit report (EAR).

She further expressed dissatisfaction to NESREA Director General Dr Innocent Barikor over the lack of compliance by many facilities, warning that such a trend was detrimental to both the environment and public health.

“It is disheartening that these rogue establishments continued to operate in a manner that endangered the environment despite being duly served with notices of compliance concerns,” Dr Barikor lamented.

As a result, the Director General assured that the regulatory body will continue to implement the requirements of 35 NER and will not hesitate to impose appropriate penalties on those violating them as these provisions were enacted to ensure effective management of human activities and development of society.

“I encourage Nigerians to become true environmental pioneers by respecting the law and reporting any violations of environmental laws,” he said.

By Etta Michael Bisong, Abuja

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