Environmental Laws Violation: Federal Government Threatens to Fine Non-Compliant Facilities

The federal government has threatened to fine any facility that fails to comply with environmental laws during its operations.

The warning was issued on Thursday by the Director General of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations (NESREA), Dr. Innocent Barikor, during a briefing on the routine compliance monitoring carried out by NESREA in the 36 states of the Federation and the FCT.

He expressed his disappointment at the flagrant violation of established environmental laws by the facilities.

He said: “We continue to see a worrying trend where some facilities are discharging untreated effluent, operating without the necessary environmental documents such as environmental impact statement, environmental audit and environmental permit. This cannot be allowed.

“The facilities where these violations occurred have been notified of compliance issues to reduce the nuisance. The agency will not hesitate to penalize any facility that pollutes the environment. Since January, 75 non-compliant facilities have been closed by NESREA and enforcement is an ongoing exercise.”

The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) is the country’s primary environmental enforcement agency, charged with enforcing all standards, protocols, treaties and conventions to which Nigeria is a signatory.

In line with its mandate, the Agency has developed 36 National Environmental Regulations that cover different sectors of the economy. These regulations are the tools used by the agency to ensure that the activities of facilities and industries do not have any negative impact on the environment.

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