Agency urges industrial clustering, green financing to curb pollution
Agency urges industrial clustering, green financing to curb pollution
The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has urged industries to embrace clustering and green financing to reduce pollution.
Mrs Angela Iwobi, South-South Zonal Director of NESREA, made the call at a national workshop in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.
The workshop was organised by NESREA in collaboration with Accappocco Global Services Nigeria Ltd. for companies and stakeholders across six South-South states.
It was under the theme ‘Health, Safety and Environment, Circular Economy and Environmental Sustainability’.
Iwobi said the programme provided an opportunity for NESREA to engage industries, share knowledge and strengthen collaboration on sustainable environmental practices.
She said the agency continued to enforce environmental regulations through facility inspections and follow-up visits to ensure compliance with prescribed standards.
According to her, NESREA inspects production processes, identifies environmental deficiencies and provides technical advice on measures required to address identified challenges.
She said the agency issued written directives and compliance timelines after inspections, followed by visits to assess companies’ implementation of prescribed measures.
Iwobi warned that companies failing to comply after repeated inspections could face enforcement action, including the involvement of security agencies.
On sand mining, she said NESREA monitored mining activities and collaborated with relevant government agencies and miners’ associations to ensure compliance with environmental requirements.
She said Environmental Impact Assessment reports and other environmental documents were crucial in determining how mining operators managed their activities and waste responsibly.
Iwobi urged industries to embrace sustainability and advocated industrial clusters where companies with similar production processes could share infrastructure.
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She said shared infrastructure, including alternative energy systems, could reduce dependence on generators and help lower emissions from industrial activities.
She also called for increased government support to enable businesses to access international green funds and other financing opportunities.
According to her, such funding would help industries adopt cleaner technologies and develop sustainable production systems.
Prof. John Oyedepo, an expert in Applied Remote Sensing and Geospatial Techniques, urged manufacturers and consumers to embrace circular economy principles.
Oyedepo identified recycling, reuse and recovery of materials as key approaches to reducing waste and environmental degradation.
He said materials considered waste by one company could serve as raw materials for another, reducing resource extraction and pollution.
He added that the approach would also reduce pressure on natural resources and promote more sustainable industrial production.
Prof. Adewale Taiwo of the Department of Environmental Management and Toxicology, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, said climate change was affecting aquatic ecosystems.
Taiwo said rising temperatures were altering natural environments and threatening the sustainability of aquatic ecosystems.
The experts called for stronger environmental stewardship, Extended Producer Responsibility and sustainable production practices.
They said such measures were necessary to protect natural resources, reduce pollution and safeguard public health.
