Prof. Aliyu Jauro, Director-General, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) on Sunday says the agency is engaging its environmental consultants online for effective and easy service delivery.
Jauro stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
He said that the effort was also to enhance the work of the agency.
The Director-General who mentioned some of the areas the agency had recorded achievements so far, noted that inadequate funding was one of its challenges.
“We are trying our best to enhance what we do, just that we have some challenges of funding but we are doing our best within the limited resources.
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“We have procured new vehicles and we are in the process of complementing on online service with our consultants so that people can easily key in for effective service delivery.
“So, this include the environmental consultants, the way we engage them is now online; right from the application we do our assessment.
“Once the application processing is done then the certificate will be issued electronically.
“We are working, NESREA has never been stagnant,” he said.
Jauro said that the agency had achieved a lot in the area of prosecution of environmental offenders and arrest.
He said that NESREA had arrested and prosecuted a lot of people that came into the country with hazardous waste such as fairly used refrigerators, generators, televisions, among others.
“Some of them, we turned back with their goods to their country. We have realised that some countries want to turn our African countries to a dumping ground.
“So, we are trying to ensure that we stop it. We confiscated and destroyed some of their goods.
“We have also undertaken a lot of compliance, and we sanctioned those that have committed some of these offences. This work will continue, it is not stagnant.
“All these effort is to achieve the Nationally Determined Contribution, (NDC), a Paris Agreement which Nigerian government signed, to cut down emission and to address global warming,” Jauro said.
He said NESREA had collaborated with international and local organisations, such as UN Environmental Development Programme, Nigeria Customs Service, and Interpol, to ensure a healthier and cleaner environment.
The Director-General said that the collaboration was also part of effort to address the issue of air pollution and other environmental challenges.
He said that for humans, animals, plants, to survive; quality air must be needed and the agency was making every effort to ensure that the environment was safe and healthy.
Jauro, however, advised relevant stakeholders to support the government in adressing environmental challenges for a better and cleaner society. (NAN)
