The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has sealed 21 facilities within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for non-compliance with extant environmental laws.
Among the sealed facilities and projects are Ochacho Real Homes Limited in Idu, Cosgrove Shopping Mall Project in Wuse II, and Belmont Court in Idu, among others.
Addressing journalists during the enforcement exercise on Wednesday, the Director-General of NESREA, Prof. Innocent Barikor, stated that action was taken to halt the adverse environmental impacts of activities at the affected facilities.
“The negative impact of construction and quarrying activities within the FCT has led to public outcry from the host communities where these facilities are located.
“Additionally, the environment is being exposed to various forms of degradation and disaster, such as flooding, erosion, and burrow pits,” he said.
Non-compliance with environmental regulations
Barikor stated that the construction sector had continued to deviate from the provisions of the National Environmental (Construction Sector) Regulations 2011 and the Environmental Impacts Assessment Act.
He noted that there had been numerous public complaints against these facilities, prompting officials of NESREA to carry out investigations.
“Following this, notices of compliance concerns were issued to the facilities. Despite this, the facilities failed to adhere to the environmental laws, leading to the agency’s actions.”
Barikor mentioned that many of the facilities had failed to conduct Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) before commencing their projects, as required by law.
What you should know
The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) is a Nigerian government agency tasked with enforcing environmental regulations and ensuring compliance with environmental standards.
Established in 2007 under the NESREA Act, the agency is responsible for ensuring that individuals, businesses, and industries adhere to environmental policies aimed at protecting the environment, public health, and natural resources.
NESREA enforces a range of laws related to pollution control, waste management, environmental impact assessments (EIA), hazardous substances, and natural resource conservation.
A key responsibility of the agency is to ensure that projects, particularly large-scale developments in sectors such as construction, mining, and manufacturing, undergo Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) before starting.
This process helps to identify and mitigate potential environmental damage early in the planning stages.
The agency’s work is in alignment with Nigeria’s broader environmental sustainability goals, which include addressing climate change, preserving biodiversity, and achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 13 (Climate Action) and Goal 15 (Life on Land).
