Yemi Olakitan
President Muhammadu Buhari, the head of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, gave 16 organisations the National Environmental Compliance Award 2022 on Tuesday in recognition of their voluntarily adhering to environmental standards, laws, and regulations of country.
President Buhari utilised the occasion to reiterate his administration’s commitment to a healthy environment for all Nigerians. President Buhari was represented at the inaugural National Environmental Compliance Awards by Chief of Staff Prof. Ibrahim Gambari.
The President stated in his Keynote address that NECA had been elevated to a Presidential Award to “underline the importance of our environment, its sustainability, and because of the belief that a healthy and sustainable environment can improve the security of our country in the face of global security challenges triggered by the impact of climate change on livelihoods, employment, food systems, and agricultural land,” he said.
In order to address environmental issues in the nation, President Buhari vowed to continue supporting NESREA and the Federal Ministry of Environment. He also urged Governors and other stakeholders to work with the Agency.
“The agency and ministry are encouraged to persevere and keep working in the designated path, understanding that the agency’s work is essential within the context of the local and global climate change programmes and architecture.”
“To other industries that have not yet reached the award threshold, I implore you to emulate the exemplary performance of these awardees and by doing so improving the threshold of performance, that by next year, we shall have cause to celebrate you in equal measure if not more,” he said after praising the recipients of the awards.
The Honourable Minister of Environment, Barr. Mohammed H. Abdullahi, stated earlier in his speech that the honorees who span many industries were chosen using a set procedure.
In recognition of the President Buhari’s efforts to enforce environmental laws while serving as Head of State during the military era and as the democratically elected President, he commended the President for elevating the status of the award and proposed giving him a lifetime award of the patron of the National Environmental Compliance Award.
The Director General of NESREA, Prof. Aliyu Jauro, stated that over 260 corporate sites were sealed for a variety of offences between 2019 and 2022 as a result of compliance monitoring that the Agency conducted at more than 10,000 corporate facilities.
He said that the level of CSR activities carried out by the chosen facilities as well as environmental documentation, including permits and environmental audits, were taken into consideration while choosing the recipients.
The awardees include; UAC Foods PLC in Lagos State, Grand Cereals Limited in Plateau State, Zartech Farm in Oyo State, Chi Limited in Lagos State, Nigerian Breweries PLC in Enugu State, Nigerian Breweries PLC in Lagos State, Notore Chemical Industries PLC in Rivers State, W.J. Bush and Company Nigeria Limited in Kano State, Inter Color Paint Industry in Enugu State, Viva Metal & Plastic Industries Ltd in Kano.
