NCF urges strict enforcement of environmental laws

The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) has called on the government at all levels to ensure strict implementation and enforcement of environmental laws to protect the ecosystem. Dr Joseph Onoja, the NCF director-general, made the call in Lagos while speaking with journalists. He noted that the country’s environmental laws were being impeded by a lack of implementation and enforcement to address environmental challenges. According to Onoja, the country would continue to experience environmental challenges with weak enforcement, and thus, the government should ensure strict enforcement of environmental laws.

Onoja emphasised that the country has beautiful laws that can help to address environmental challenges, but they are not all-encompassing. He added that the government can start implementing these laws to make significant progress in environmental protection. He called on the government to enforce the existing environmental laws to prevent the greedy actions of a few people from affecting others.

Onoja urged Nigerians to support the government and its agencies by ensuring that environmental laws are not being violated. He warned that if people continue to block water channels, flooding would continue to be an issue in the country. He noted that sand has been filled in all wetlands, which is blocking water from flowing out, and if water doesn’t have anywhere to go, it will come back to flood homes and roads, destroying properties.

Onoja also pointed out that some individuals have gone ahead to block the waterways that the government and communities have created for water to pass freely. This has been done either by deliberately building on the waterway or blocking it with plastics, which is unacceptable. He stressed that the NCF would do everything within its power to make people conscious of their environment to ensure the protection of the ecosystem.