Environment
NOA Lists Dangers Of Unclean Environment
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) said last Thursday that an unclean environment could pollute the atmosphere, impoverish the people, and cause disease among the people.
The Director of the Agency in Plateau, Mr Musa Chantu, stated this in Jos at a one-day stakeholders’ sensitisation workshop organised by the Agency.
He said it was regrettablee that most people had to be forced to clean their environment.
”It is sad therefore that as a people, we have to be told and ordered to clean our environment. A dirty environment pollutes, causes sickness and impoverishes us as a people.
“We are calling on all citizens to come out and clean their surroundings on sanitation days as well as other days of the month, as a habit.
”The Sanitation exercise should not be seen as a day of forced labour. People should stop defecating in the open to avoid contaminating our sources of water.“
Chantu urged the people of the state to imbibe the habit of proper disposal of waste, adding that a clean environment was necessary for healthy living.
He applauded the Plateau government for the reintroduction of the monthly sanitation exercise, saying that the city would soon regain its past glory of being the cleanest city in West Africa.
“The reintroduced sanitation exercise is a welcome development, considering the health risks associated with the habit of indiscriminate and improper disposal of waste in spite of the efforts of government to keep our cities clean, through engagement of street cleaners and the provision of waste bins in strategic location.
”Dumping of waste on water ways is a very bad habit that obstructs the free flow of water and can cause floods.
“People should form the habit of properly dumping waste in the waste bins provided by the ministry of environment,“ he added.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Mr Sunday Akpa, described environmental pollution as a big problem in Nigeria, since it had defied all efforts aimed at tackling it.
He said nature was designed in such a way that it would cope with itself, but that with the habitation of the humans, the environment became affected by human activities.
He appealed to the people to be committed to making the environment clean for the good of all.
Also speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Information, Mr Yiljap Abraham, reiterated the government’s commitment to creating awareness on critical environmental issues affecting the public.
The commissioner, who was represented by the ministry’s Director, Public Relations and Enlightenment, Mr Harris Dawurang, said that government was working hard to ensure that the environment was kept clean.
He gave the assurance that the government would partner with NOA to sensitise the public to the need to keep the environment clean at all times.
On his part, Mr Mohammed Abdulsalam, the North Central Director, National Emergency Relief Agency (NEMA), said that NEMA would collaborate with NOA to limit the devastation of flooding in the state.
He said that NEMA would build capacity of the people through trainings and sensitisation efforts to improve and check the level of preparedness of the public in case of emergencies.
In the same vein, Mr Williams Arabs, North Central Zonal Director of National Environmental Standard Regulatory and Enforcement Agency (NESREA), called on the people to imbibe the habit of planting trees in their surroundings to reduce the effect of global warming.
The Ministry of Environment on Thursday in Abuja, advanced its National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process, validating a comprehensive plan aimed at tackling climate-related challenges in the country.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Alhaji Mahmud Kambari, said this at the Stakeholders Consultative Workshop on the Development of the concept notes to the Green Climate Fund (GCF) for NAP in Nigeria.
Kambari, who was represented by Mrs Victoria Pwol, the Deputy Director in the Department of Climate Change (DCC) in the ministry, said that the workshop is a collective resolve to confront the realities of climate change with purpose, strategy, and coordinated action.
“Over the past years, the Federal Government of Nigeria, with crucial support from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), has made significant progress in advancing the NAP process.
“As a nation, we stand at a critical juncture where climate risks ranging from extreme weather events to environmental degradation continues to threaten our socio-economic stability, food systems, public health, infrastructure, and national development aspirations.
“Through extensive technical work, we have completed a Climate Risk Assessment across all geopolitical and agro-ecological zones, developed an Economic Appraisal, an Adaptation Finance Strategy, and a robust Monitoring and Evaluation Framework.”
Kambari said that these foundational elements now guide Nigeria to identify priority adaptation needs and investment opportunities.
“Let me mention that we are at the tail end of this NAP Formulation Process and looking forward to the implementation phase.
“This workshop therefore serves as a strategic purpose to harmonise perspectives across key MDAs; refine project ideas into strong, evidence-based concept notes.
“It will ensure that proposed interventions align with national priorities and the investment criteria of the GCF and position Nigeria to competitively access the resources required to strengthen resilience across vulnerable sectors,” he said.
Dr Iniobong Abiola-Awe, the Director DCC in the Ministry said that the engagement would enhance achievements by collaboratively developing bankable, climate-resilient concept notes that align with national priorities and meet the GCF’s investment requirements.
Abiola-Awe who was represented by Dr Jonah Barde in the Ministry said that the workshop represented an important step in Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to strengthen climate resilience.
She added that the workshop would advance sustainable development, and mobilise the climate finance needed to safeguard Nigeria’s communities, ecosystems, and economy from the growing impacts of climate change.
Effective communication, transparency, and science-based risk assessments are the cornerstones of Nigeria’s approach to Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).
Mr Bello Bwari, the Director-General, National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), gave the assurance during a media interaction in Abuja on Friday.
“Where there is communication, you reduce conflict. Effective communication is key, effective engagement with stakeholders is paramount and key to making Nigeria better.
Bwari said anti GMO’s critics keep participants and practitioners on their toes.
“We value them and we expect that their criticisms, suggestions and recommendations will make our operations in the entire spectrum better.
“Where we are not doing so well, we will hear from them, where we can advance explanations, we will advance explanations. Where they are not doing well, we will tell them. We will not run away from doing that.
“But I want to assure you that we are bold enough to face anybody who is not fact-based,” he said.
He reassured that sometime before the end of the second quarter of 2026 there would be a retreat where all stakeholders would be invited.
“And also, the impact we are bringing is going to be measurable by the end of 2026. And going forward, what we do by the end of 2026 will form the basis of our five-year plan.
“There’s a five-year plan which will start at the end of 2026. So, I enjoin the media to please report what you know as a matter of fact, not as a matter of opinion.
“We all have different opinions, but some of our opinions are not facts. From the quality of what I see on papers, reportage, I think largely I’m impressed with what the press is doing in Nigeria so far,” he said.
Bwari stated that Nigerians deserved to understand what NBMA regulates, why they regulate it, and how decisions were made.
“Part of my focus going forward will be strengthening engagement with the media, researchers, policymakers, and the public because regulation works best when it is understood.
“We are not promoters of any technology, and we are not opponents of innovation. We are regulators.
“But at its core, biosafety is about prevention, caution, and preparedness. It is about ensuring that innovation does not outpace safety, and that national development never compromises public health or environmental integrity,” he said.
He promised to uphold the law without fear or favour, communicate more clearly with the public and ensure that every regulatory decision was transparent, evidence-based, and accountable
“NBMA is not an advocacy agency. Our duty is to assess risks, enforce safeguards, and ensure compliance with national and international biosafety standards.I also want to emphasise that public trust matters.
He further urged the media to help Nigerians understand biosafety and biosecurity in a better way.
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