Environment
Rivers State Government Suspend Fire Service Collection Levies
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.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) has called on residents of the state to adopt positive attitudinal changes to reduce the incidence of fire outbreaks.
The Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, made the call in an interview with Newsmen on Thursday in Lagos.
Oke-Osanyintolu said the agency was well equipped to tackle emergency response challenges across the state, noting that fire incidents could be avoided or significantly reduced if residents complied with institutional requirements and safety regulations.
“It is rather sad that people who ought to know better wilfully disobey standard regulations, which usually lead to disasters,” he said.
The permanent secretary noted that the agency had never been overwhelmed by the series of emergencies recorded in the state, attributing this to strong preparedness, adequate resources and effective coordination under the state government.
“We are not overwhelmed. When you are well prepared and you have the necessary resources, you cannot be overwhelmed.
“In Lagos State, we are well positioned and well prepared for any form of emergency,” he said.
Oke-Osanyintolu said LASEMA had significantly leveraged technology while deliberately strengthening human capacity to avoid overreliance on systems that could fail.
“Technology is very important, but if care is not taken, technology can fail. At LASEMA, we combine advanced technology with strong human capacity.
“Our equipment is highly computerised and digitalised, and our emergency number has been upgraded to improve efficiency and effectiveness,” he said.
He attributed Lagos’ emergency response success to strong political will, describing Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu as the “Chief Incident Commander.”
“The political will is key. The governor has taken ownership of emergency management.
“When incidents occur, everyone knows the government is watching, reports are monitored, and discipline is enforced,” he said.
Oke-Osanyintolu explained that apparent discrepancies in casualty figures released by different emergency agencies often stemmed from differences in mandate and operational scope.
“Other agencies like the Fire Service and the Lagos State Ambulance Service have their individual roles.
“LASEMA is the umbrella coordinating agency. We respond mainly to major incidents, while others may attend to smaller cases,” he said.
According to him, casualty figures released by agencies usually reflect only the victims they personally handled, while LASEMA adopts a holistic approach.
“When we talk about casualties, we capture everything — those rescued, those injured and those taken to hospital, including both minor and major injuries.
“That is why we say our response is holistic, from the beginning to the middle and to the end,” he said.
He described LASEMA as a multidisciplinary agency comprising doctors, nurses, engineers, fire and building experts, stressing that emergency response goes beyond firefighting alone.
Reviewing the agency’s performance in 2025, he said LASEMA had demonstrated both effectiveness and efficiency, even when compared with emergency management systems in developed countries.
“If you compare what we are exposed to in Lagos with what happens in the UK and other developed countries, you will see that we are not only effective, we are very efficient,” he said.
On disaster prevention, he highlighted the state’s emphasis on early warning systems, advocacy and community-based structures.
“We have local emergency management committees because disasters impact local communities first. We also carry out regular sensitisation and advocacy to reduce risks before incidents occur,” he said.
According to him, the existing inter-agency command structure prevents inefficiency among responding agencies.
“There is a clear chain of command and organogram. LASEMA coordinates all agencies, and that structure ensures discipline, cooperation and effective response,” he said.
He also addressed public concerns over a recent controversial incident, explaining that emergency management involved measures taken before, during and after disasters.
“Emergency does not start at the point of collapse. Before the incident, we had structures in place — local emergency committees, market emergency committees and advocacy visits.
“Our teams were on the ground for sensitisation even shortly before the incident,” he said.
Oke-Osanyintolu assured Lagos residents that the agency would continue to improve its operations to safeguard lives and property across the state.
He reiterated the agency’s commitment to sustained sensitisation and advocacy on safety measures required to prevent or mitigate disasters.
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