NIGERIA SET 2013 TARGET ON ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMMES

Patrick Osadebamwen
ABUJA: ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION Nigeria Vision 2020 Central Working Committee on Environment has said it planned programmes would begin to yield positive result from myriads of environment problems by the year 2013 even as it urged the ministry of environment to be alert to the impact of environmental degradation following its various manifestations across the country.
Professor Abubakar Mamman, chairman of the committee said the committee has identified some programmes and projects to drive the vision 2020 environment activities in the medium term set between 2010 – 2013.
Mamman said that some of the priority projects establishment like 1500km Green Wall Sahara project in the 11 frontline states of the north; 28 integrated waste facilities in selected cities across the country; development of regional reference laboratory as well as logistic for effective compliance monitoring and the establishment of clean development mechanism projects etc.
He also enumerated the targets set by the committee to ensure the restoration and of the Nigeria environment for sustainable social economic development through massive afforestation, increase in the country forest cover from the present 6 percent to 8 percent by 2013, reduction in population related health problem relatively. Environmental monitoring and enforcement and fully developed capacity to mitigate the effects of disasters as well as fully developed capacity for carbon trade.
Professor Chukwuma Asala another member of the committee emphasised the need for the ministry to be alert and effect immediate response to such complaints. This was necessary because of level of forest cover loss as well as soil erosion and flood damages which have had direct impact on the lives of the people.
Asala pointed out that the extent of environmental damage required billion of naira to address hence it was incumbent on the ministry to quickly respond to any report of environmental problem.
Responding to the committee’s call, Minister of Environment, Mr. John Odey admitted that the environmental challenge before Nigeria was indeed huge but assured the committee of his commitment to respond to the needs of the environment through their professional inputs of the committee and the ministry staff.
He reminded the committee that the federal government has expressed its will to act on the side of Nigerians as the efforts so far has demonstrated the interest of government to deal with issue of environment adequately therey by advancing the aspiration of the vision 2020 team.