By Nneka Nwogwugwu
The permanent secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Engr. Hassan Musa has reassured that the environment is one of the most dynamic of all sectors in the life of humanity.
Engr. Musa said this while giving his welcome address at the Ministerial Press briefing for the environmental sector in Nigeria held in Abuja.
The ministerial press briefing was organised by the Minister of State, Sharon Ikeazor Esq.
The Permanent secretary noted that after the creation of the Federal Ministry of Environment in 1999, the Ministry has made considerable progress in addressing environmental concerns in the country.
This, he said, has been made possible through collaboration with other MDAs, States and Local Government.
Highlighting the departments contributing to the actualization of environmental protection, he said the Ministry has been structured into six (6) Technical Departments and seven Agencies, which includes:
DEPARTMENTS:
i. Climate Change
ii. Pollution Control and Environmental Health
iii. Erosion, Flood and Coastal Zone Management
iv. Environmental Assessment
v. Forestry
vi. Desertification, Land Degradation and Draught
Management
AGENCIES:
i. National Parks Services (NPS)
ii. Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN)
iii. National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA)
iv. National Environmental Standards Regulatory and
Enforcement Agency (NESREA)
v. Environmental Health Officers’ Registration Council of Nigeria (EHORECON)
vi. National Agency for the Great Green Wall Programme (NAGGW)
vii. National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA)
Among the functions of the agencies, the National Park Service aims to protect, manage and regulate the designated National Parks as unique ecosystems by such means and measures to preserve and conserve Nigeria’s natural and cultural heritage, tangible and intangible particularly the fauna and flora, their habitats and the unique scenery they afford. There are 7 National Park in Nigeria. These are:
• Chad Basin National Park in Borno/Yobe State;
• Cross River National Park in Cross River State;
• Gashaka – Gumti National Park in Taraba/Adamawa State;
• Kainji Lake National Park in Niger/Kwara State;
• Old Oyo National Park in Oyo State;
• Kamuku National Park in Kaduna State; and
• Okomu National Park in Edo State.
