The Federal Government should reflect deeply on the level of damage done to Nigeria’s environment through oil spills, illegal milling, manufacturing activities, and urgently formulate policies that will guarantee massive investment in the protection of the Nigerian environment.
This was the message handed to President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration by various environment activists in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital while speaking on the gains of this year’s world environment day which focuses on restoring the ecosystem around the world.
A report on Ethiopian Gazette on April 22nd, 2020 ranked Nigeria as the second most polluted country in Africa. These statistics were reportedly drawn from the increasing artisanal gold milling operations in Zamfara, Northern Nigeria, the Lagos lagoon receives a large quantity of environmental pollution from manufacturing activities in the western part of the country While the Niger Delta region battles with the age-long glaring stories of gas flaring, deforestation and oil spillages destroying the aquatic lives across various oceans and creeks.
As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to commemorate this year’s world environment day, environmental activists have made a case for proper auditing of Nigeria’s polluted environment.
In the Niger Delta Region, the Ogoni Land clean-up exercise has witnessed a slow approach, also multinational companies have had equipment failure resulting in oil spills leaving the health of the people at greater risk.
The theme for this year’s world environment day is restoring the ecosystem.