The Lagos State Government, on Thursday, reiterated that adopting the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) process is a must to ensure sustainable implementation of all developmental projects in the state.
State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources Mr. Tokunbo Wahab emphasised this at a one-day Stakeholders Engagement Workshop with Financial Institutions and Professional Bodies, stating that its adoption has become necessary for all professionals in the built environment in line with global best practices.
He said the theme: “Embracing Environmental And Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) As A Critical Management And Sustainable Tool”, was apt as ESIA must be embraced by both the private and public sectors to achieve sustainable development.
The Commissioner, who spoke through the Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental Services, Dr. Tajudeen Gaji, added that EIA helps in identifying the likely adverse and beneficial impacts of a project to put in place measures to mitigate the adverse ones.
He said Lagos State remains the preferred destination for many businesses operating within the various sectors of Nigeria’s economy, saying this preference can be likened to a two-sided coin which on one hand stated that Lagos is open to economic prosperity and growth and on the other hand, comes with various types of environmental and social challenges.
Wahab said the establishment of industrial facilities, creation of new settlements, and construction of infrastructure, all come with huge adverse environmental impacts ranging from pollution of various environmental media (Air, Land and Water) to sometimes irreversible environmental degradation if not properly managed.
“I would like to reiterate here, that the State Government cannot afford the huge cost of addressing environmental degradation and ecological challenges resulting from unwholesome project development activities. The cost of doing the right things is cheaper than the cost of remediating or correcting the consequences of refusal to do them”, he said.
He emphasised that Environmental Impact Assessment is a formal process for identifying the likely impacts that may arise from a proposed activity or project on the environment, human health and social economic activities.
He stated that the workshop is designed to bring together all financial institutions and professional bodies in the built environment to discuss the critical role of Environmental Impact Assessment in their collective strides towards sustainable development in the State.
He explained that it is worrisome that while the government continues to see improvements in the level of compliance of the Private Sector players to the process, the same cannot be said about some professional bodies, especially in the built environment.
He added that it has been observed that some Private Sector players have continued to execute development projects in the State without Environmental Impact Assessment.
The Commissioner reiterated that EIA has become a global decision-making tool by policymakers in protecting the Environment with nations across the globe enacting laws and setting stricter standards to ensure compliance, saying “Lagos State cannot be an exception’.
He stressed that this is why the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources is committed to continuous creating of awareness of the need for participation and compliance with the EIA process in the State.
He added that the Government has developed the Citizens Guide on EIA to educate members of the public and provide them with required information on the EIA process in the State as well as embarked on Stakeholders’ Engagement meetings to several stakeholders and major focus groups across the State.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Permanent Secretary for The Office of Environmental Services, Tajudeen Omobolaji Gaji, read by the Director, Sanitation Services Department, Dr. Hassan Sanuth, noted that EIA has become a major management tool that any nation that is determined to achieve sustainable development cannot afford to jettison in project consideration and design.
He said all the Financial Institutions and Professional Bodies must be on the same page on the importance of EIA in project development and implementation to strike a balance between the desire for development, the need to protect the environment and public health which are not options but a necessity.
The Guest Lecturer, Prof. Babajide Alo said ESIA must be executed thoroughly according to the following stages which are screening, scoping, preparing an ESIA report, publication consultation, decision making and post decision making.
He also identified the objectives of ESIA to include identifying, predicting, evaluating environmental economic and social impacts of development activities amongst others.
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