FG urged to include N10m penalty on EIA Act

The Federal Government has been urged to consider an upward review of the current Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to include higher monetary penalties of N5 to N10 million in the case of firms or corporations and N500,000 to N2 million in the case of individuals who defaulted.  

Environment Resource Centre (ERC) in partnership with Heinrich boll Stiftung recommended this yesterday in Abuja during a public presentation of the policy brief tagged ‘Improving Nigeria’s Environmental and Social Impact Assessment’.

The group also called for the establishment of an online databank of environmental baseline studies and conditions, to ensure effective and efficient management of information on Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) projects.

According to the groups, this is to ensure that such information is accessible to the public, saying, “Baseline environmental studies are to establish environmental conditions at a site prior to any site development. 

“Once established it provides a benchmark against which to monitor and manage any potential future impacts resulting from the project.”

Other recommendations by  the groups include, with regards to climate change, in preparing ESIA report, the project proponent must consider the greenhouse gas potentials of the project and where possible, alternative project with less greenhouse should be approved

“It is recommended that all government projects of the acts must not commence without adequate EIA permit being obtained,” the groups said.

They said government must ensure the ongoing review of the Act is in line with global best practices, adding that the EIA Act must be viewed as a planning, and then a management tool and this can be achieved by creating awareness amongst heads of the importance of including ESIA as one of the requirements of funding proposed projects.