Expert Harps On Environmental Governance

An environmentalist, Mr. Hakeem
Bakare, has stressed the need for Nigerians to prioritise environmental
governance structures to reduce the effects of climate change and for
integrated long-term developmental goals.

Bakare said this in an interview with the newsmen
recently in Abuja, while reacting to what he called the non-implementation of
the nation’s environmental laws.

Environmental governance is concerned with the ways and
mechanisms by which environmental policies and regulations are enforced and
implemented.

It recognises the holistic involvement of both state and
non-state actors in ensuring the effectiveness of environmental laws and
policies.

The specialist, who explained that an industry like the
cement industry had serious and multiple implications on the social and
ecological systems, called for sustainability initiatives to ensure effective
technological innovations for the sector.

“Its growth in the country deserves attention as a
resource-based industry with significant impacts and externalities that
contribute immensely to global warming and climate change.

“It then means the growth of the sector in Nigeria
should, in reality, be guided by Best Available Sustainability Initiatives and
Innovations.

“It should be in a competitive manner under new
ownerships for the benefit of human and environmental systems,’’ he said.

He stated that the global cement industry had developed
the sustainability initiative to ensure that the sector was in tune with the trends
of organisational and technological innovations.

He further explained that global restructuring toward
neo-liberal policies such as privatisation, commercialisation of industries and
developmental activities in recent times, enhanced emphasis on the multi-actor
perspectives of environmental governance as a necessity to transformative
development process.

Bakare argued that although Nigeria was already
transforming toward governance process, little evidence still existed on the
effects of the process on environmental performance in the country.

He, however, commended the efforts of specialists and
other international environmental and standardisation agencies in advancing the
course in the country.

“Nigeria should be benefitting from the multi-actor perspectives
of environmental governance.

“This process promotes transparency, effectiveness
through openness, legitimacy and participation of multiple actors at different
levels,’’ he said.

The specialist stressed that Nigeria could benefit
through improved environmental performance, promoting environmental
responsibility through openness, accountability, information disclosure and
public participation.

He listed the advantages of having a proactive
environmental regulatory mechanism to include minimising socio-environmental
conflicts, promoting peaceful co-existence and long-term developmental goals.

Others are recognising
non-state actors active roles in industrial environmental plans, reduction of
bureaucratic bottlenecks and responsibility on the state.