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Michael Olugbode in Abuja

The Federal Government has expressed its determination to partner with stakeholders in the environmental sector especially the Institute of Environmental Practitioners of Nigeria (IEPN) on environmental sustainability.

The Minister of Environment, Malam Balarabe Lawal said this at the inauguration ceremony of the 1st Governing Council of IEPN in Abuja.

Lawal, who was represented by Dr Olubunmi Olusanya, Director Pollution Control and Environmental Health in the ministry assured that they would unlock all the potentials in the environment sector and regulate environmental professionalism.

He said: “This institute is going to ensure we have professionalism in the system. For us in the Federal Ministry of Environment, we are very particular about the quality of professionals that are managing our environmental issues; therefore we are going to collaborate with the institute to ensure that we conserve our environment for sustainability and also unlock all the potentials that are in the circular economy in Nigeria. Also from Environmental management we can begin to maximise the profit there; there is a lot of profit in environmental management if properly done, so through this institute I think we are going to achieve that.”

Prof. Lawrence Ezemonye, President and Chairman of Governing Council of IEPN, noted that the institute was saddled with the responsibility of regulating the activities of its members in the protection of the Nigerian environment.

Ezemonye, who is also the Vice Chancellor of Igbinedion University, said he will protect the environment by regulating the activities of its members to provide good governance, stewardship and environmental justice.

He noted that: “The primary mandate of the council is to join hands to protect the Nigerian environment, and we will do this by regulating the activities of our members to provide good governance, stewardship and environmental justice and when we do this in accordance to the proper best practices and ethics, you can be rest assured that the Nigerian environment will be protected.

“We understand today that the symbiotic relationship between man and the environment seems to have collapsed; because everyday the environment is presented with different environmental challenges, not only affecting the matrices of land, water and air, but it also affecting man and that is the current predicament that the Nigerian environment is currently experiencing; so the emergence of this Institute of Environmental Practitioners of Nigeria is to bring sanity and sanctity in the practice of environmental protection, conservation, remediation and restoration to the Nigeria environment; that is our sole mandate and that is what we have resolved to do.”

He added that: “Today marks the beginning of a new era in Environmental Governance and Ecosystem Management in Nigeria. It was not an easy task going through the process of signing the IEPN establishment Act into Law.

“Nothing signposts man’s apparent failure to protect Mother Nature than our apathy in combating climate change challenges.

“As a matter of fact, the symbiotic relationship between man and the environment seem to have collapsed. Every passing day presents daunting environmental challenges interfering with ecosystem matrices such as water, air, land and man,” he said.

The president reassured that it behooves on all, to ensure the sustainability of the Nigerian environment saying that the primary mandate of the council is to protect the environment by regulating the activities of environment users in order to proffer environmental justice.

He commended the Federal Government of Nigeria for signing the IEPN Act into Law.

The members of the governing council of IEPN includes, President of the Institute- Lawrence Ezemonye, VIce President – Chukwukeluo Chukwuogo, Registrar – Yakubu Waziri, Treasurer – Paul Akporowho, Legal Adviser – Ifunaya Charity, amongst others.