Managing Industrial Waste In Nigeria

The need to manage industrial waste in Nigeria cannot be overstressed.
This has become necessary following the wave of exploration and industrial activities by multinational companies operating in Nigeria.
Industrial waste, no doubt, pollutes human environment, contaminates sources of drinking water and increases the level of risk for human existence.
The environment which we live consists of the surroundings where man works and enjoys leisure.
It also consists of air, soil and subsurface water, habitat for man, animals and plant which also serve as source for food, water, fuel, raw materials and breathing air.
It is clear and understandable that industrial activities interact freely with human environment.
However, certain industrial waste breeds harmful materials that suffocates the environment against human existence and healthy living.
Today, in human environment, there is mechanical disturbance, noise, vibration and increased temperature, biological active chemicals resulting from spillages, leakages and odur engineered by the production of certain chemical products.
These, it has been observed, have direct toxically effects on surfaces of living organism such as increased mortality and reduced reproduction rates.
It also affects physical destruction of habitats and damage to property.
More worrisome and dangerous is that industrial wastes restrict human uses of the environment and its resources.
This manifests in nuisance, loss of reduction of amnesty, interference with cultural activities among others.
It will be recalled that in 1998, the Federal Government under the leadership of Retired General Ibrahim Babangida established Federal Environmental Protection Agency, FEPA, through decree 58 of 1988.
The essence of the decree was to enable the agency to establish guidelines and standards to abate and control all forms of industrial pollution in the country.
In fact, 25 years after the birth of the agency, pollution of several kinds have continued to trouble the environment beyond human expectation.
That the human environment is suffering from pollution is well understood.
The air is becoming unsafe for human breath, streams are polluted and aquatic habitats destroyed and noise recorded here and there.
All these are indices and evidence of environmental decay resulting from poor management of industrial wastes.
In fact, if the environment is to be safe for human existence and for the preservation of aquatic habitats and our uncommon culture, efforts have to be made by the government, industries and individuals to control pollution through careful and proper management of industrial waste.
This, therefore, calls for adequate waste management policies and control by the government and operational industries in the society.
The policies should emphasis effective waste management and reduction, equipment design and installation to minimize risks of spill, noise and vibration.
Let the policies also make provision for environmental audit and check the activities of the industries with regard to the control of wastes and protection of the environment.

Omah is of Radio Rivers, PH.