Scholars and stakeholders across the country gathered last week to discuss and take stock of what has been achieved so far in the environmental sector, as well as the directions to move forward.
Held at the Conference Centre, University of Ibadan (UI), the event which was organised by the Department of Environmental Health of the institution, in collaboration with the Nigerian Environmental Study Action Team (NEST), had the theme: “The Nigerian Environment: Past 100 years and the Future.”
With a focus on Nigeria’s total environment, the two-day symposium, which was chaired by Professor Emeritus Akin Mabogunje, witnessed a review on the trend, major achievements and lapses in safeguarding the Nigerian environment over the past century, and to draw a blueprint for future development.
In his remarks on the theme of the programme, the keynote speaker, Professor Anthony Imevbore, highlighted the environmental issues of the country in the past 100 years, while also explaining the environmental outcomes of such evolutions.
“Increasing population and economic activities have led to palpable global changes in our natural environment and environmental problems prominent in Nigeria include deforestation and loss of biodiversity, desertification and coastal erosion, flooding, air and noise pollution, among others,” he said.
Professor Imevbore further stated that approving development plans or industries without proper evaluation; not enforcing zoning arrangements in development plans; no real penalty for environmental degradation and lack of strategic environmental assessments and plans were among the reasons the environment was being continuously abused.
Despite efforts from various bodies to curb environmental mismanagement, little can be recorded in terms of their achievements. Reacting to this, the Chairman, NEST, Professor Enoch Okpara, was of the belief that if anyone should be blamed, it should be the leadership.
“The government needs to do more in tackling the issue of environmental disorder. The budget allocated to environmental matters is very small and unfortunately, it has dwindled over the years. Yet all the other activities are taking place in the framework of the environment. So the environment has to be strengthened before you can depend on it to support all the other activities taking place on it,” he said.
Professor Okpara, who spoke on the topic, ‘Land Resources and Erosion,’ stated that different technologies applied to land utilisation during the pre-colonial, colonial and past-colonial periods had corresponding impact on the environment, adding that progressive increase in the population of the country over the years also brought tremendous pressure on land resources.
The duo of Professor Emeritus N.M. Gadzama and Professor H.K. Ayuba of the University of Maiduguri, in their presentation on desertification, explained that the overarching aim of any strategic intervention in tackling desertification should be to sustainably address the detrimental social, economic and environmental impacts of desertification in the affected region.
“Other objectives should include strengthening the resilience of the people and natural systems of the affected regions with sound ecosystems’ management, sustainable development of land resources, the protection of rural heritage and the improvement of the living conditions of the local population, and also support the efforts of local communities in the sustainable management and use of forests, rangelands and other natural resources in the region,” Professor Ayuba said.
As an important part of the environment, water management is also essential, as failure to do this often leads to environmental disasters. I his paper, “Evolution of Water Resources and Development in Nigeria: Possible Future Trajectory,” Dr Dawuda Gowon, recommended a more comprehensive dam register, maintenance of research and training, effective mass publicity among others as ways water could be well managed in the country.
While delivering a lecture on the History of Sanitation and Hygiene Practices in Nigeria: Past 100 Years and the Future, Professor Sridhar Mynepalli of the Department of Environmental Health Sciences, UI, revealed that one in three of the world’s population, that is 2.5 billion people, do not have access to adequate sanitation, with over 500, 000 children dying yearly from diarrhea caused by poor sanitation.
Having given preambles on the sanitary state of the country prior to independence, he said: “After independence, laws, regulations and policies were enacted to promote environmental health services and sanitary regulations. However, sanitation and hygiene were still at the lowest.”
Although many universities aim at developing models for the development of the society, many do not seem to be living up to expectations, as regards contributing to the development of the society. Professor Sridhar in defence said: “The objective of the university anywhere is to bring the town and the gown together and the University of Ibadan is not lagging behind in so doing.
“We are taking the projects handled at the departmental and faculty level to the communities and in this process, our department has been doing a lot of work since inception across the society.
“On why we are still lagging behind in Nigeria, this is because although our policies or treaties we sign with other countries are in line with what is global, our problem is implementation at the local level. The government needs to play a major role in ensuring that the policies are implemented in various conditions, situations and locations.”
He also lamented that it was becoming difficult to manage solid waste in Nigeria, “not because we do not have technologies, but because are not aware of what to do. When you tell people not to throw their waste into the gutter, then you have to give them some other option. So government and its agencies have to provide an alternative to what people are used to. The policies we have are different from the researches and technologies available. So we have to bridge the gap between the two,” he emphasised.
Ernest Afiesimama of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), Abuja, while justifying the efforts of environmental bodies in the country and why it seem that little had been done said: “The problem is everybody is staying in his own cocoon trying to do one thing or the other. There is a need for us to have concerted effort. We all need to bring our articulated information together, one which could be presented to the public.
“Doing this will avoid duplication and also give room to compare notes, and it will also harness resources that are required to convey such information that allows for societal development. It is high time we took such decisions that are beneficial to the society,” he advised.
Former Vice Chancellor of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Professor Adeniyi Osuntogun, who is from the Resource Integrated Development Foundation, Lagos, said some of the environmental challenges we face are sometimes caused by our way of doing things.
“Many times, you’d see people throw waste anywhere and this is because there are no rules governing such things. This is something you’d pay dearly for in some other countries. We don’t keep up with our building plans; people build houses blocking drainage and this further compounds our problems. Water has its way of fighting back, so if you block where it’s supposed to pass, it will forcefully create its own way.”
Other topical issues discussed included: “Air Quality in Nigeria, Where do we Stand?”; “Changing Climate in Nigeria; Trends in the Development of Forestry in Nigeria; Biodiversity; The Coastal and Marine Environment of Nigeria; The Environment of the Niger Delta: The Pats, The Present and The Future; Gender, Energy and Environment; The Environment and Health and Awareness Raising, among other pressing issues.
Also at the event were Professor Chinedum Nwajiuba of the Imo State University; Professor Margaret Okorodudu-Fubara, Obafemi Awolowo University; Ako Amadi; Executive Director, Community Conservation and Development Initiatives, Lekki, Lagos; Dr Babatunde Lawal, Former Education Adviser, Nigerian Conservation Foundation, Lagos; Professor Chris Ikporukpo, Department of Geography, University of Ibadan; Professor Chidi Ibe, Independent Expert, Randolph, USA, Dr Gloria Chinwe Ujor, Deputy Director, Federal Ministry of Environment, Abuja; Professor B.A Ola-Adams; Professor Emeritus D Okali; Professor A.O. Isichei and Professor Daniel Gwary, among Others.
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