Nigeria Reinforces Efforts to Protect Environment

The Nigerian government has strengthened its efforts to protect environment against pollution and degradation, the Federal Ministry of Environment said Tuesday.

"Henceforth, no pipeline buried on the earth would exceed 20 years on the ground to avoid burst and pollution ... a national oil and contingents plan has been developed to check oil spillage, " said Erasmus Anyadiegwu, environmental law enforcement director from the ministry.

Apart from correcting degradation from oil-related activities, Nigeria would enforce its sanitation laws as 70 percent of infections reported at the nation's hospitals were environment- related due to poor sanitation, he added.

The official stressed that the government had also reviewed its urban development and agricultural laws for environmental friendliness.

"The government has contracted out the maintenance of drainages to guard against frequent flooding of major cities," he said, adding that it had entered into partnership with private sectors to provide personal conveniences to the people with severe sanctions against misuse of the property.

Last week, a major rainfall paralyzed economic activities in major cities in the west African country, particularly in the commercial capital Lagos, where most streets were flooded and rendered impassable. The incident elicited public and government attention on the need for sustainable protection of the environment.

Anyadiegwu also noted that by 2007 the government would have concluded its "waste to wealth program" aimed at waste recycling for industrial raw material. The Nigerian government has strengthened its efforts to protect environment against pollution and degradation, the Federal Ministry of Environment said Tuesday.

"Henceforth, no pipeline buried on the earth would exceed 20 years on the ground to avoid burst and pollution ... a national oil and contingents plan has been developed to check oil spillage, " said Erasmus Anyadiegwu, environmental law enforcement director from the ministry.

Apart from correcting degradation from oil-related activities, Nigeria would enforce its sanitation laws as 70 percent of infections reported at the nation's hospitals were environment- related due to poor sanitation, he added.

The official stressed that the government had also reviewed its urban development and agricultural laws for environmental friendliness.

"The government has contracted out the maintenance of drainages to guard against frequent flooding of major cities," he said, adding that it had entered into partnership with private sectors to provide personal conveniences to the people with severe sanctions against misuse of the property.

Last week, a major rainfall paralyzed economic activities in major cities in the west African country, particularly in the commercial capital Lagos, where most streets were flooded and rendered impassable. The incident elicited public and government attention on the need for sustainable protection of the environment.

Anyadiegwu also noted that by 2007 the government would have concluded its "waste to wealth program" aimed at waste recycling for industrial raw material. The Nigerian government has strengthened its efforts to protect environment against pollution and degradation, the Federal Ministry of Environment said Tuesday.

"Henceforth, no pipeline buried on the earth would exceed 20 years on the ground to avoid burst and pollution ... a national oil and contingents plan has been developed to check oil spillage, " said Erasmus Anyadiegwu, environmental law enforcement director from the ministry.

Apart from correcting degradation from oil-related activities, Nigeria would enforce its sanitation laws as 70 percent of infections reported at the nation's hospitals were environment- related due to poor sanitation, he added.

The official stressed that the government had also reviewed its urban development and agricultural laws for environmental friendliness.

"The government has contracted out the maintenance of drainages to guard against frequent flooding of major cities," he said, adding that it had entered into partnership with private sectors to provide personal conveniences to the people with severe sanctions against misuse of the property.

Last week, a major rainfall paralyzed economic activities in major cities in the west African country, particularly in the commercial capital Lagos, where most streets were flooded and rendered impassable. The incident elicited public and government attention on the need for sustainable protection of the environment.

Anyadiegwu also noted that by 2007 the government would have concluded its "waste to wealth program" aimed at waste recycling for industrial raw material.