The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, NESREA, United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP, and other stakeholders in the sector have formed a collaboration to review three environmental laws that have been in existence for the past 10 years in Nigeria.
Those to review to meet the global best practices are: National Environmental (Import and Export Control) Regulations, National Environmental (Energy Sector) Regulations, National Environmental (Chemical, Pharmaceutical, Soap and Detergent Manufacturing Industries) Regulations.
The Director General of NESREA, Prof. Innocent Barikor, who spoke at the Stakeholders’ Review Workshop in Abuja, said, “This is to adopt final drafts of three pivotal sectoral regulations, which mark a significant milestone in Nigeria’s environmental governance.”
Barikor stated that they now require urgent review to address emerging environmental issues, overcome implementation challenges, and align with modern circular economy principles, adding that all culminate in extensive efforts under the UN Environment Programme’s initiative.
The Director General said, “This partnership exemplifies international cooperation essential for addressing global environmental challenges while building local capacity. The NESREA-UNEP collaboration strategically aligns national priorities with global environmental objectives.”
Similarly, he expressed delight that its programme enables them to leverage international expertise while ensuring our regulatory approaches remain appropriate for Nigeria’s unique circumstances, providing technical assistance, capacity building, and access to global best practices.
Explaining further, Barikor stated that they would address emissions standards for power plants, environmental impact assessments, waste management protocols, and renewable and non-renewable, On-Grid and Off-Grid, nuclear energy integration standards.
“Nigeria’s position as a major West African trading hub necessitates strong environmental controls to prevent becoming a destination for harmful products while facilitating legitimate trade. These regulations represent economic opportunities rather than compliance burdens.”
While commending the UNEP, Barikor stated they will drive innovation in cleaner technologies, position Nigerian industries as environmental leaders, enhance access to international markets, and attract responsible investors while creating employment in green economy sectors.
He therefore maintained that the regulations would align Nigeria with international environmental commitments, including the Paris Climate Agreement and multilateral environmental agreements, and provide frameworks serving as models for other countries facing similar challenges.
Also, the UNEP Country Representative, Becca Chudaska, believed that industry leaders would embrace the standards as innovation opportunities, saying government agencies must integrate regulations into planning processes, while civil society organisations will continue to monitor.
Chudaska further explained that development partners provide technical and financial support for Nigeria’s environmental future foundation, adding that “We have 96 projects globally that would evolve the landscape of chemical management and energy sector development.”
