Environment

NEMA ,UNDP Propose National Disaster Database For Nigeria

Published

3 years ago

November 28, 2022

National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have partnered to establish a national disaster database for Nigeria.
The organisations disclosed this at a two-day workshop on “creation of National Disaster Database and Risk Information Management for Sustainable and Risk-informed Development in Nigeria,” in Abuja.
The workshop, within the context of the “Sahel Resilience Project” of the UNDP, had in attendance stakeholders from MDAs, States Emergency Management Agencies, FRSC, and the academia, among others.
NEMA Director-General, Mr Mustapha Ahmed, said that the project covered seven countries in the Sahel Region of West Africa, namely Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Senegal.
He described the project as a multi-partnership scheme implemented by UNDP, in collaboration with African Union Commission, ECOWAS, UN Women, Lake Chad Basin Commission and other regional organisations.
Ahmed said that the project was funded under the sole assistance of the Swedish Government.
According to him, the choice of the region is very germane, considering the worrisome physical and human development indices in the area.
He added that the region, which had continued to suffer drought as a major risk factor, had also been faced with continuous deterioration of livelihoods and food security.
The director-general added that the situation required concerted and collective disaster management efforts to ensure that no one was left behind, and as such, data was important.
“It is necessary to stress that management of disaster risks in the contemporary period are anchored on preparedness, mitigation, risk reduction and adaptation.
“This cannot be realised without the full deployment of both quantitative and qualitative data for disaster risk-informed decision, planning and programme implementation.
“I commend UNDP for this laudable workshop on the creation of disaster database for risk informed sustainable development in Nigeria,” he said.
Also speaking, the Project Manager, Sahel Resilience Project, UNDP, Ms Reshmi Theckthil, added that one of the major aspects to effective disaster management was the availability of data.
She added that investment in good, accurate and accessible data would help various communities to develop resilience to disasters in the country.
The project manager also called on government to develop and implement policies that would make the created data useful in the country.

Environment

Lagos State Government Refuted Resumed Monthly Sanitation

Published

3 hours ago

February 23, 2026

The Tide

The Lagos State Government on Saturday refuted an online media report claiming that the state had resumed the monthly environmental sanitation exercise.

The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, said no categorical statement had been made regarding the commencement date of the exercise.

Wahab explained that what he told newsmen after a project inspection tour last Sunday was that engagements with relevant stakeholders were still ongoing.

He said the state government had planned to begin with a sensitisation programme last week, but was constrained by logistics issues.

“The truth is, we were meant to start with a sensitisation programme last week, but we had a logistics issue. We need to find a day that is acceptable to all stakeholders,” he said.

He expressed optimism that the exercise might return very soon, adding that the official date would be communicated by the Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

The commissioner urged law-abiding residents to continue their lawful activities without hindrance, assuring them that adequate notice would be given before the exercise was reintroduced.

The monthly environmental sanitation, previously held on the last Saturday of every month between 7.00 a.m. and 10.00 a.m., was suspended in November 2016 following a legal pronouncement restricting movement during the exercise.

However, renewed waste management challenges, including clogged drainage channels and indiscriminate refuse disposal, have sparked calls from residents for its reinstatement.

Environment

RIWAMA In Collaboration With Obio Akpo And Port Harcourt LGA Ban Dumping Of Refuse On Road Side

Published

3 hours ago

February 23, 2026

The Tide

The Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA) in Collaboration with Obio Akpor Local Government Council and Port Harcourt City LGA had advised the public not to dump refuse on the road side.

In a statement signed by the Director of RIWAMA Dr Ibimina Wokoma, Mayor of Port Harcourt Sir Hon Allwell Ihunda and Obio Kpor local government Chairman Hon Dr, Gift Worlu made available to Tide news stated that dumping of refuse on road medians is banned in Obio Akpor LGA, Port Harcourt City LGA, and the entire metropolis.

The statement said all waste is to be properly bagged and taken to the nearest RIWAMA-approved receptacle only between the hours of 6pm and 10pm daily.

“The use of cart pushers for waste collection, evacuation, and disposal is highly prohibited across Obio Akpor LGA and Port Harcourt City Local Government. Corporate organizations are requested to engage only Private Service Providers licensed by RIWAMA, in line with extant laws.

“Scattering of refuse bags at the receptacles or roadside by scavengers, individuals, and organizations engaged in illegal sorting or segregation of waste or recycling business is hereby banned, except as authorized or licenced by RIWAMA at the final dumpsites.

“The Thursday sanitation exercise by shop owners will continue alongside business activities without closing or locking up shops.

The statement also said that , shop owners whose shop environment or surroundings are untidy will be arrested and prosecuted accordingly.

This notice applies to all residents, businesses, and organizations in Rivers State. Let’s work together to restore our “Garden City” status.

By: Kiadum Edookor

Environment

Ministry Of Environment To Validate A Landmark Policy To Advance Nigeria’s Economy

Published

3 hours ago

February 23, 2026

The Tide

The Federal Ministry of Environment last Thursday convened key stakeholders in Abuja to validate a landmark policy brief aimed at tackling marine litter to advance Nigeria’s transition to a circular economy.

Mrs Falmata Bukar-Kolo, the Deputy Director, Solid Waste Management and Technology Division in the ministry, warned that plastic pollution poses serious risks to aquatic ecosystems and public health.

She stated that microplastics have already entered the food chain through fish consumption, while clogged waterways, soil contamination, and greenhouse gas emissions from burning plastics are worsening the environmental crisis.

Bukar-Kolo said that plastics, though widely used, are non-biodegradable and persist in the environment for years.

She called for improved waste management systems, stronger enforcement of environmental regulations, and behavioural change amongst citizens and businesses.

Mr Clem Ugorji, Regional Coordinator of PROTEGO, emphasised on the urgency of action, saying Nigeria’s marine litter crisis carries environmental, economic, and reputational costs.

He expressed optimism that the 2025 to 2040 roadmap endorsed at the workshop would shift the country from prolonged dialogue to concrete implementation.

The event was organised in collaboration with PROTEGO (Prevention of Marine Litter in the Gulf of Guinea).

Discussions centred on a draft policy input paper titled “Policies, Institutional Set-up and Financing of Marine Litter Prevention in Nigeria,”.

These seeks to present insightful analysis and a set of recommendations to address the structural and financing gaps that have long hindered effective waste management, particularly plastic leakage from inland communities and waterways into the Atlantic Ocean.

The PROTEGO initiative is supported by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection and led by adelphi, with implementation in Nigeria by WASTE Africa and the Nigeria Climate Innovation Centre (NCIC).

The policy brief is a key delivery for one of the programme’s four impact areas – building capacities of public stakeholders.