The Federal government of Nigeria through the Minister of State for Environment Ibrahim Usman Jibril has called on the private sector to seize the investment opportunities in the country’s environment.
Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State
The Minister who spoke in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital at the 11th Meeting of the National Council on Environment (NCE) stressed that there are many opportunities in the country’s environment waiting to be utilised.
Also, the executive Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun who declared opened the meeting at the June 12 cultural center, Kuto Abeokuta enjoined private organizations to partner with Government in protecting the environment.
The theme; “Unlocking the Investment Opportunities in the Environment sector towards Nigeria’s Economic Recovery, Diversification, Growth and Sustainable Development “.
Jibril mentioned the opportunities to include repositioning of the National Agency for Green Wall, Waste Management, Watershed Management, Renewable energy, Eco-tourism, Green Bond, Aforestation/Reforestation and implementation of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report in cleaning Ogoni land.
According to the minister: “Against the backdrop of our recent recovery from economic recession and the global initiatives towards the use of renewable energy sources, this administration is more than ever before committed to finding alternative sources of revenue to sustain the recovery process.
“Consequently, I am inviting the private sector to seize the investment opportunities existing in the environment sector, which include repositioning of the National Agency for Great Green Wall; Waste Managenent; Watershed Management; Renewable Energy; Eco-Tourism; Green Bond; Afforestation/Reforestation; Implementation of UNEP Report; in order to clean Ogoni land and in the very near future the rest of the Niger Delta that are equally or even worse affected by oil pollution.
“We are implementing the UNEP Report on Ogoni land through the Hydrocarbon Pollution Restoration Project (HYPREP); Clean-Up of Lead conyaminated sites in Shikira (Niger State) and the soon to be launched Green Bonds programme.
“We have also ratified International treaties and conventions on Climate change, signed the Minamata convention on mercury and obtained Mr.president’s signature on the instrument of ratification last week. The instrument is about to be forwarded to the United Nations (UN). “
Governor, Amosun,who stressed that there was need for collective efforts towards protecting our environment, insisting that government could not do it alone further said it was imperative for the government to orientate, educate, and inform the people on the need to imbibe the culture of reforestation and to desist from all habits that are detrimental to a safe environment.
The Governor said there were many potentials in environment and if tapped, it would create employment to the teeming unemployed youths as well as creating wealth for the country.
He therefore called on government, corporate organisations and Non- Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to tap into the environmental sector.
Amosun said “The solutions to all these environmental factors are not in the sky but, in us who inhabit this Mother Earth. The preservation and sustenance of the environment is, without mincing words, a collective work for all and sundry. It should not be solely left in the hands of the Government.
“If we all desire to live a worthy life that will be beneficial to the generation yet unborn, then, we must ensure that we take issues of safe environment more seriously.
“In view of this, let me use this opportunity to call on corporate bodies, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Corporate Organizations etc. in Ogun State, and in Nigeria as a whole to partner with Government as we strive towards bequeathing an environment that will provide future generations the opportunity to survive”.
Also speaking at the event, a member of the Senate Committee on Environment, Senator Magnus Abe allayed fear over the cleanup process of the Ogoni communities of Rivers State, saying the project in on course.
Abe, a Senator representing Rivers South East Senatorial District in the red chamber said the Senate is being briefed on the efforts to make the project successful.
The Lawmaker assured that the national assembly will provide serious oversight to make the project happen.
Acknowledging the concerns of the people of the communities, the Senator said all stakeholders must understand the procedure and bureaucracy involved in getting the work done.
Abe said, “People should be assured that the clean up is on course and that we will provide serious oversight of it to see that it happens and that we acknowledged the concerns of those who feel it is a bit slow but just to assure them that it is on course and working because we are being briefed on the efforts that are being made.
“I wouldn’t say there’s any mistake of the past because nothing was done actually in the past, if there is any mistake, it is the mistake of the present.
“What I would say is that the expectation of the people, people wanted to see things happening immediately but people have to understand that there are frameworks, procedure and challenges of implementation of programmes of this scale, which has never be done before.
“If you are not patient, you are not thorough, you could easily get overwhelmed by the whole thing because it is a multi layer operation, it is something we have not done before, it is just a new thing we are seeing how best we can make it happen, people have to be patient and give all support they could.
“I don’t think money is the factor at this point because so far, the money that is available has not been fully utilised, I don’t think money is the problem but like I said, challenges in trying to put the while thing together and we are working on those challenges, we should be a bit patient and support in order to get the best out of the exercise.”
– Wale Adewunmi, Ogun State C orrespondent