As part of strategies to streamline and ensure standards in its activities, the Ministry of Environment, Housing and Urban Development, recognizes the need for an adequate database for informed decision making.

The Minister, Halima Tayo Alao, disclosed this at a press briefing recently in Abuja pointing out that the ministry has initiated many bills and produced draft revised policies to enhance its performance.

"Suffice it to mention that a well-structured database is most critical in a cross cutting discipline like the environment and providing decent living in Nigeria.

"To ensure standards in its activities nationwide, zonal and state offices of the National Environmental Standards and Enforcement Agency are being opened to regulate the unsustainable use of the environment and its resources by the citizenry."

She said that the Ministry has embarked on advocacy tours to create the much needed awareness to embrace international best practices in issues relating to environment and affordable housing delivery and it would be intensified.

Towards this end, she said that the Ministry has collaborated with the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), the United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and the World Bank.

In order to meet the required milestones, the ministry will intensify efforts in the coming years to work with all relevant stakeholders to ensure that we achieve the set goals of the MDGs on environmental sustainability and upliftment of the slum dwellers, the minister said.