The Nigerian Environmental Society (NESLIC) has urged government at all levels to always consider proposals contained in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports in the course of implementing projects.
Mr Victor Imevbore, the Chairman, Lagos Island Chapter of NESLIC, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Friday.
Imevbore said the failure to take into account the recommendations of EIA reports always constituted a problem during the implementation of projects in the country.
“The EIA is supposed to be a process as opposed to being just a document. People look at EIA just as a document.
“But it is a document containing a process to lead you somewhere, to inform decision makers about a project and to guide them on how to implement the project with little or no impact on the environment
“The truth is that, a lot of EIAs are done and dumped on the shelves.
“That way, the measures and recommendations contained in the EIAs are not given any attention.
“That really is the big problem, apart from the fact that many EIAs do not meet basic standards.
“With all due respect, a lot of EIAs from Nigeria lack a lot of substance when you compare them to EIAs produced in developed societies.’’
Imevbore said the production of EIAs should not be limited by duration.
“The time it will take to produce an EIA depends on the nature of the project involved.
“But as a minimum it should take about six months; it can also take up to 18 months if you have to go through all the proper procedures.’’
He spoke of the need for assessors to make adequate consultations in the course of preparing their EIAs to ensure that the concerned project had no adverse effect on the environment.