By Abbas Nazil
The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has launched a revised Environmental Audit Guidelines aimed at improving compliance and sustainability across Nigeria.
Announced at a workshop in Abuja on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, the guidelines address gaps in previous practices and align Nigeria’s environmental audits with international standards.
Speaking at the workshop, NESREA Director-General, Dr. Innocent Barikor, described the revisions as essential for ensuring robust and transparent environmental audits.
He emphasized the need for credible, data-driven reports that can accurately assess industrial performance.
“The agency observed that many audit reports lacked sufficient technical information, making it challenging to evaluate compliance effectively,” Barkor said, stating, “These new guidelines will address these issues and ensure standardization.”
Dr. Barikor warned that NESREA would take decisive action against consultants found guilty of falsifying or fabricating reports.
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According to CSE representative Ishita Garg, the absence of sufficient quantitative data in past audit reports limited their usefulness. “A well-conducted audit helps industries optimize resources, improve efficiency, and comply with regulations. Multi-year data is essential for tracking trends and evaluating performance,” Garg explained.
In addition to improving compliance monitoring, the revised guidelines focus on clear communication of findings, effective data visualization, and actionable recommendations. This approach ensures that audit reports not only identify issues but also provide solutions that industries can implement to improve their environmental management practices.
NESREA’s Director of Inspection and Enforcement, Isa Abdussalam, noted that the updated guidelines are tailored to Nigeria’s regulatory needs while incorporating global best practices.
“These guidelines provide a comprehensive framework for enhancing environmental audits and ensuring their alignment with international standards,” he said.
The workshop, organized in partnership with the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a global think tank based in New Delhi, India, brought together over 350 participants, including NESREA staff and accredited consultants.
It focused on equipping participants with advanced auditing techniques, including risk-based auditing, lifecycle analysis, and enhanced reporting methods.
The updated guidelines aim to improve the quality of environmental audits by requiring the inclusion of comprehensive quantitative data.
According to the new guidelines, reports must now provide detailed metrics on production capacity, energy usage, waste generation, and resource efficiency.
