Expert Traces Nigeria’s Environmental Problems To 1960

Heaps of refuse at Nyanya Gwandara in Nasarawa State

The Executive Director of
Basel convention coordinating Centre for Training and Technology Transfer, Prof Oladele Osinbajo, has traced Nigeria’s environmental problems to 1960.
Prof. Osinbajo, who is a fellow of the Nigerian Environmental Society said this at an exhibition organised by the Nigerian Environmental Society (NES), Rivers State, recently in Port Harcourt.
He said that Nigeria has undergone rapid, haphazard and unsustainable development since 1960, resulting in a catalogue of environmental challenges which include’, natural resources depletion, biodiversity loss, environmental degradation, land and coastal erosion, multi-media environmental pollution, flood disasters desertification, climate  change and global warming and unsound management of hazardous waste such as electronic waste and oil spills of various magnitude causing ecological devastation and environment induced social conflict as being experienced in the Niger Delta.
Prof. Osinbajo described the theme for the exhibition which is, “Emerging Environmental Monitoring Technology and Practice” as most appropriate as the situation is focused on achieving good environmental management through exhibition of emerging monitoring technology and delivering of lectures on field experience.
He also commended the Rivers State chapter of the Nigerian Environmental Society (NES) for the exhibition.
“The organisation of this event by Nigerian Environmental Society, established about three decades ago, is in fulfillment of one of its stated objectives, which is to deliver and hold lectures, exhibition, public meetings, classes, examinations and conferences calculated directly or indirectly to benefit or advance the works, aims and objectives of the society.”
He said that, the exhibition will provide enabling environment and opportunity of establishing a network of scientists and environmental consultants/practitioners and Technicians/Technologists who can develop a sustainable on-going community of interest in environmental monitoring Prof. Osinbajo urged participants to take advantage of the opportunity of seeing first hand various technologies from cheap to expensive state of the art environmental monitoring equipment, update their knowledge and experiences and make contacts that will be useful to them in future.
The event which took place at the Rivers State University of Science and Technology was attended by people from all walks of live.