Act Hub Africa (AHA), a non-governmental organisation that provides an overview of existing projects and their impact on the environment, has called on the Nigerian authorities to ensure that environmental impact assessment (EIA) is effectively carried out.
The call was made during the AHA’s signature programme, ‘The Policy Dialogue’, where participants shared perspectives on how EIA was being perceived in holding the government accountable.
Development Diaries understands that the discussion covered government’s execution of development projects and their effects on social lives, health, livelihood, and environment.
In attendance were Engr. Caleb Fagade, Efosa Mejele, Ismail Alatse, and Mujidah Ajibola, and the AHA team lead, John Oluwafemi Olla, who was the host and moderator.
Some of the issues raised included the need to identify the government agency responsible for environmental impact assessment monitoring and compliance, the need for communities to get acquainted with their rights to environmental compliance and how they can go about it and getting results, and why few cases of environmental impact assessment processes are carried out for development projects with local communities not being involved in the process.
The group recommended that local community representatives, civil society organisations, etc, be carried along always during the planning and implementation of EIA projects.
Participants also urged civil society organisations and government agencies to regularly create EIA awareness via various channels and in suitable languages; while host communities were urged to raise the alarm about impending dangers whenever a developmental project is having or would likely have negative effects/impacts on the people.
In addition, the group recommended that the EIA laws or acts be reviewed to attract more stringent penalties.
Source: Act Hub Africa
Photo source: Quapan
