‘Nigeria lacks efficient environmental management system’

The Managing Partner of Prigem Concepts Ltd, an environment firm, Owa O. Raymond, has attributed the environmental problem affecting the nation to lack of efficient Operational Environmental Management Systems (EMS).

He said issues of flood, drought, desertification and waste handling system needed a holistic approach to address them.

He said: “It is of growing concern as 350ppm (parts per million) optimum is not seen to be attainable anymore as against the current 410ppm of carbon dioxide CO2, methane, CH4 and other gases, resulting in global warming and increment in the surface temperature between 1.5C and 2C.”

Raymond also stated that reversing sea-level rise and coastal flooding is a very big problem now.

He however advised that judicious use of waste as Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) could help significantly, saying, “One ton of landfill gives 1.7Gt of GHGs and it has the potential for 3:1 fossil fuel energy to refuse derived fuel in tonnage. One tonne of fossil energy is same as 3 tonnes of energy from RDF when commercialized waste becomes a resource.”

He noted that inadequate and insufficient data are the bane of many of the developmental strides in Nigeria, which is challenging every sector and leading to colossal losses due to climatic energy upsurge.

“Waste generation or disposal of the over 190 million Nigerian population is a problem now; average waste generation in percentages and all is not known even as of now but put at 0.86kg/head. Are we supposed to be acting with?” Raymond said.