22 October 2007
Lagos — Hajia Halima Alao, Minister for the Environment, Housing and Urban Development, has said the Federal Government will sanction industries that fail to comply with environmental standards.
Alao said this yesterday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jos, shortly after inspecting some industries and decried the level of pollutants emitted into the environment.
She said, "this is not too impressive, government cannot continue to watch the gradual destruction of lives, properties and environment through unwholesome industrial practices. Industrialists have the responsibility to protect the people and their environment from harmful industrial activities."
According to her, most industries in the country do not have effluent treatment plants and air pollution abatement facilities., adding that the environment was now a global issue and Nigeria would spare no effort to protect her environment.
"We must not lose sight of the fact that industries could have some negative impact if environmental issues are not properly addressed," she said.
The minister said government would no longer tolerate such practices, noting that it was determined to check all the negative acts.
Alao said the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) was established to enforce environmental standards.
adding that "with NESREA in place, any industry that is not complying with government directives will be closed down."
She said the Agency had given all industries in the country
three weeks to put in place "Pollution Abatement Mechanisms/Pollution Abatement Facilities," and spoke strongly on climate change, which had become a global phenomenon that required the efforts of all stakeholders
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