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NESREA Releases New Environmental Audit Guidelines

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NESREA Releases New Environmental Audit Guidelines

By: Michael Mike

The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has unveiled new guidelines on environmental audit in the country.

This was unveiled on Wednesday in Abuja at a workshop-cum-report release programme organized by NESREA in partnership with the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a global think tank based in New Delhi, India, having in attendance over 350 participants comprising NESREA accredited consultants and staff of the agency.

According to the Director General of NESREA, Dr. Innocent Barikor, an environmental audit is a series of activities undertaken with respect to the operations of a facility or an organisation to evaluate its environmental performance, noting that it is not a one-time step but an ongoing activity that aims to identify and correct environmental issues that arise during the operation of a project and improve operating and environmental conditions in industries.

He said the review of the guidelines was necessitated by observations that existing audit reports lacked essential technical data, hindering accurate assessments of industrial performance.

Barikor while officially unveiling the Environmental Audit Guidelines and manual, said: “The Agency has observed that audit reports received from consultants come in different formats, lack important information, and in some cases they do not reflect the actual status of the process of the operating facility. Also, these reports do not adequately cover the information included in the Environmental Management Plan (EMP) developed during the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). The new guidelines are intended to streamline the processes associated with undertaking and review of the environmental audits”.

Barikor added: “This revised guideline is an outcome of the collaborative efforts between CSE and NESREA. I would like to extend my appreciation to CSE for the support they have provided to NESREA in the development of these guidelines, needed to standardize environmental audit reports in our country. Going forward the Agency will be verifying the parameters in the Audit Report submitted by consultants and will also take a decisive action against any consultant that engages in falsification, fabrication and plagiarism”

In preparing the guidelines, officials of NESREA and CSE reviewed the existing audit guidelines and the corresponding environmental audit reports from different sectors and concluded that the existing audit reports lacked technical data and information required for depicting the performance of the industries.

Speaking at the event, Ishita Garg of CSE said: “A thoroughly performed environmental audit allows industries to analyse the ambiguities in the implementation of management plans and take corrective measures. It also helps industries improve the process efficiency by optimizing the usage of resources, increasing production and thereby resulting in monetary benefits”.

She added that on the regulatory front, “a comprehensive audit report can be helpful as it will assist in assessing the compliance status of the industry and understand its environmental performance. Comparing data of two to three years can ascertain whether the performance of an industry is improving or declining.”

Garg said: “Most of the audit reports had enough of qualitative information but lacked in basic quantitative data like the production capacity, energy and water consumption, quantity of wastewater and solid waste generated. The reports also have only one-year data which makes it difficult to compare the performance of the industry with the previous years. In the absence of sufficient data, the whole audit process becomes ineffective,” she adds.

The Director, Inspection and Enforcement, NESREA, Mr. Isa Abdussalam, said: “The new guidelines are more robust, focusing on quantitative and technical data from the industries along with the information on mitigation measures taken in various sectors over the years. Apart from being of immense use for project proponents and assistance to experts in conducting audits, these guidelines would also be useful for the regulatory bodies to review the submitted audit reports.”

The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) is Nigeria’s foremost environmental protection and enforcement Agency. The agency has the mandate to enforce all environmental laws, guidelines, policies, standards regulations in Nigeria. NESREA also has the responsibility to set standards, to prohibit processes and the use of equipment or technology that harm/ undermine the environment, and to enforce compliance with provision of international agreements, protocols, conventions and treaties to which Nigeria is signatory.

NESREA Releases New Environmental Audit Guidelines

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Send Your Kids To Acquire Technical Education Now……Zulum

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Send Your Kids To Acquire Technical Education Now……Zulum

By: Bodunrin Kayode

Borno Governor Professor Babagana Zulum has called on residents to send their wards into the technical vocational and education training (TVET) centre for them to acquire skills for livelihood.

He regretted that there are about nine vocational enterprise institutes/ centres in Borno state but young people are not responding to the opportunities that abound in these training centres the way he felt they should embrace it.

The Governor who attended the graduation ceremony of 2,970 trainees Tuesday at the vocational enterprise institute Muna in the outskirts of Maiduguri said he hardly shed tears over anything but the way the young people dismiss the opportunities offered by these centres sometimes make him to tear up.

Speaking in Hausa to the locals present, he went on ” Look I established centres like this one here, in Mafa and all over the state but sadly the young ones are painfully snubbing these places which is there to change their lives and teach them how to fish.

” I hardly shed tears easily but each time I watch our young ones who need these opportunities snubbing what we brought for them to benefit, I feel bad indeed. It makes me feel like shedding tears.

” This is why I am begging you to please hurry up and ensure you enroll your children to grab this opportunity which is lined up for them now that it lasts.”

He assured the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Professor Idris Bugaje that Borno will continue to lead in the TVET centre module of training for as long as there are out of school kids and orphans littering the metropolis and the countryside.

He assured the NBTE boss that Borno is not yet done with his agency adding that he will surely find a way to sit down and work something out that would be beneficial to the state on the long term basis.

Zulum posited that a situation in which a serious business man like Dangote will have to bring in as many as 11,000 technicians from India to boast production in his refinery when young Nigerians would have taken such position is sad.

The Governor warned parents that they have only five years left to think about the offers in the centres and enroll their kids so that they too will become beneficiaries of the goodies offered by the system.

At the end of the speech making session, Gov Zulum, awarded 100,000 naira each to the 2,970 beneficiaries who completed their intensive vocational training across the state.

Zulum equally distributed starter packs and business kits valued at ₦2,050,000,000 to the graduates, aimed at equipping them to establish their own enterprises to become self-employed almost immediately.

The beneficiaries were drawn from the nine vocational training institutes located across Borno State offering skills in fields such as information technology, plumbing, construction, tailoring, welding and various artisan trades.

Governor Zulum, while addressing the gathering, reiterated his administration’s commitment to supporting young people, particularly those affected by over 10 years of insurgency in the state.

“Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, one of the cardinal priorities of this administration has been youth empowerment and the protection of vulnerable members of our society. We remain mindful of the devastating effects of insurgency on our communities, which disrupted livelihoods, increased unemployment and exposed many young people to uncertainty and hardship.

“It became imperative for the government to implement sustainable interventions aimed at restoring dignity, creating opportunities and rebuilding productive capacity among our people.

“It is with great honour and a deep sense of fulfilment that I address this distinguished gathering on the occasion of the graduation and presentation of starter packs to 2,970 trainees drawn from nine vocational enterprises institutes and centres across Borno State.

“In addition, we reactivated nine vocational training centres and three second chance skills entrepreneurship schools dedicated to women and girls.” Said Zulum.

The Governor said that the institutes prioritises the enrolment of vulnerable individuals, particularly those affected by insurgency and provide structured training in diverse vocational and technical trades to enhance employability and economic independence.

Prof Zulum revealed that, his administration had invested over ₦40 billion in the establishment, rehabilitation, and equipping of vocational enterprises institutes, vocational training centres and technical colleges across Borno State since he was sworn into office.

According to Zulum, this strategic investment is aimed at reducing the number of out-of-school youths, promoting self-reliance and developing a skilled workforce capable of contributing meaningfully to both the state and national economy through Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

Commissioner for Education, Lawan Wakilbe, explained Zulum’s vocational training concept, which he noted is a direct product of the visionary leadership and unwavering commitment of the Governor whose administration recognises the urgent need to empower youths with practical, employable and entrepreneurial skills.

The initiative he stressed is equally part of the Governor’s broader agenda to promote self-reliance, restore dignity, rebuild livelihoods, particularly among conflict-affected youths, women and vulnerable members of the society.

Send Your Kids To Acquire Technical Education Now……Zulum

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FRSC moves to enforce discipline, professionalism

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FRSC moves to enforce discipline, professionalism

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on Tuesday, sensitised its personnel in Gombe State to enhance discipline, professionalism, and service delivery.

Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed while engaging with personnel at the FRSC Gombe Sector Command said the initiative was borne out of the need to respond to recent operational reports that reveal trends “we cannot and will not ignore.”

Mohammed who was represented by an Assistant Corps Marshal Ezekiel SonAllah said the Corps had observed a disturbing decline in discipline and professionalism.

He said that those lapses had manifested as misconduct, unethical practices, abuse of authority, extortion, reckless enforcement behaviours and other actions that contradicted its mandate and were steadily eroding public trust in the Corps.

The Corps Marshal reminded the personnel that such behaviours were not only unacceptable but endangered the credibility and reputation of the Corps.

“Every time a road user loses confidence in us, our mandate becomes harder to achieve; every act of unprofessional conduct damages the image of thousands of disciplined staff and every abuse of authority weakens the trust built over decades,” he stressed.

Mohammed further told personnel that discipline was not punishment but protection, as “ It protects our reputation, our careers, the Corps and ultimately the lives of Nigerians who depend on us daily.”

According to him, professionalism to the Corps is mandatory and not optional.

The Corps Marshal also warned personnel against extortion, harassment and abuse of authority, emphasising that such acts were illegal and would not be tolerated.

He expressed optimism that the engagement with personnel would help restore the highest standards of discipline, rebuild public confidence, towards making the Corps an enduring symbol of professionalism and integrity.

Our Correspondent reports that the theme of the sensitisation is “Discipline, Reinforcement and Strengthening of Command and Control in the Field Commands.”

Recall that FRSC, in February, dismissed 43 of its personnel over offences bordering on desertion, scandalous conduct and patrol-related misconduct.

The move was described by the Corps as a firm demonstration of its zero tolerance for indiscipline and ethical breaches.

FRSC moves to enforce discipline, professionalism

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NIMC Intensifies Ward-Level NIN Enrolment, Urges Nigerians to Register

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NIMC Intensifies Ward-Level NIN Enrolment, Urges Nigerians to Register

By: Michael Mike

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has reaffirmed its commitment to expanding Nigeria’s digital identity database as its nationwide ward-level enrolment drive for the National Identification Number (NIN) gains momentum across the federation.

The exercise, which began on February 16, 2026, is designed to bring registration services closer to the grassroots by decentralising enrolment to ward levels in all states and the Federal Capital Territory. According to the Commission, the initiative is already recording steady progress, with officials deployed to designated centres to capture new registrants.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by the spokesman of the Commission, Dr. Kayode Adegoke, NIMC underscored the critical role of the NIN in accessing essential government and financial services, describing it as the backbone of Nigeria’s identity management system. The Commission stressed that possession of the NIN remains mandatory for participation in a growing number of public and private sector services.

“The ward-level enrolment is part of our strategy to ensure inclusive identity coverage and to eliminate barriers that may prevent citizens and legal residents from registering,” the Commission said.

NIMC called on Nigerians who are yet to enrol to seize the opportunity presented by the decentralised exercise by visiting designated centres within their wards. The agency advised prospective registrants to verify the nearest enrolment locations through its official website, cooperate with enrolment officers, and provide accurate and verifiable information during the process.

To curb misinformation, the Commission urged the public to rely strictly on its verified communication channels, including its website (www.nimc.gov.ng) and official social media platforms on X (@nimc_ng), Instagram (@nimc_ng), Facebook (National Identity Management Commission – NIMC), and LinkedIn.

The agency also highlighted additional digital services available to the public. Applicants can initiate pre-enrolment through the online portal at penrol.nimc.gov.ng, while individuals seeking data corrections or updates can use the self-service modification platform at selfservicemodification.nimc.gov.ng. For secure digital verification, Nigerians were encouraged to download the NIN Authentication (NINAuth) App from the iOS App Store or Google Play Store.

NIMC further provided its customer care helpline, 0800-061-6462, for inquiries and assistance.

Reaffirming its mandate, the Commission stated that it remains focused on delivering “assured identity” to all Nigerians and legal residents, noting that a comprehensive and reliable identity database is essential for national planning, security coordination, and efficient service delivery.

NIMC Intensifies Ward-Level NIN Enrolment, Urges Nigerians to Register

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