Dr Michael David, Executive Director of the Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation (GIFSEP), has called for fresh legislation in Nigeria to safeguard citizens and the environment.
He made this known in Abuja on Wednesday during an interview in honour of Nigeria’s 65th Independence anniversary.
According to him, 65 years after independence, the nation requires laws that reflect present-day realities strong enough to defend its people, ecosystems, and sustainable growth.
“At independence in 1960, Nigeria’s environment was relatively intact; vast forest cover, healthy mangrove ecosystems in the Niger-Delta, largely clean rivers, low industrial pollution and fewer people, less urban pressure.
“Over the decades, the country has witnessed massive demographic growth from about 45 million in 1960 to more than 220 million today.
“It has witnessed rapid industrialisation, oil extraction, expansion of cities, and weak regulatory regimes have severely degraded air, water, land and biodiversity.’’
According to him, deforestation has accelerated as Nigeria loses more than 350,000 hectares of forest per year.
“Mangrove zones have been damaged by repeated oil spills since the 1950s; estimates suggest Nigeria has spilled around 13 million barrels of oil in the Niger-Delta, heavily impacting mangrove forests.
“Water pollution has become a grave issue in many mining communities and many urban rivers are contaminated by industrial effluent in levels far above WHO safety limits.
“Air quality has worsened significantly; urban centres often record PM2.5 levels that are many times above safe standards, with Port Harcourt regularly exhibiting hazardous black soot levels linked to illegal refining and gas flaring.”
He said that flooding and extreme weather had become more frequent and destructive.
“The 2022 floods destroyed over 200,000 homes, displaced more than 1.4 million people, and damaged more than 300,000 hectares of farmland.
“Soil fertility in many agricultural areas has dropped; desertification is consuming once productive lands in northern Nigeria.
“Open defecation persists; almost 48 million Nigerians practice it, with serious health and environmental consequences.
“Regulatory tools remain outdated, weak, poorly enforced, and often ill-suited to modern challenges like climate change, health impacts, and social equity.
“This is where the #ESHIA Bill (Environmental, Social, and Health Impact Assessment Bill), which has passed first reading at the House of Representatives, becomes essential.’’
He added that the existing Environmental Impact Assessment Act, introduced in 2004, is outdated and inadequate for today’s development and pollution challenges.
David stressed that adopting the ESHIA Bill would make sure future infrastructure, mining, industrial and urban projects are reviewed not just for environmental impact but also for their social and health implications.
“The Bill prioritises citizens and local communities, embedding stricter requirements such as free, prior and informed consent for those affected.
“It also provides for stiffer sanctions, improved oversight to ensure compliance, and integration of disaster risk management.
“Beyond these, it guarantees rights for communities facing pollution, displacement, and land loss, while setting clearer, enforceable standards to stop further environmental damage,” he concluded.