The National Publicity Secretary, Nigerian Environmental Society, Mr Smart Mbagwu has urged the Federal Government to go into comprehensive partnership with the private sector to tackle environmental challenges in the country.
Mbagwu made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja.
According to Mbagwu, many forms of economic activities are being done by the private sector which has some negative impact on the environment and on social conditions.
“Therefore, those who caused such impacts must also have responsibilities to deal with them.
“Comprehensive engagement with industries is a vital part of a healthy environment, so it is critical that the private sector and industries be an integral player in the partnership, along with international organisations, and Civil Society Organisation.
“Only with the participation of the private sector can we place an accurate value on natural capital, and fully incorporate that value into the way decisions are made and progress is measured.
“Private sector participation will also ensure that all key actors from local communities to state and Federal Governments must recognise the part they must play in finding and implementing solutions to their local environment.’’
He said that the primary responsibility of the private sector was to support efforts of the Federal Government to address climate change, biodiversity, forests, land degradation, desertification, chemical pollutants, and international waters.
“These efforts should include projects aimed at addressing the environmental pressures created by the global trend toward urbanisation as well as to manage it in a sustainable way.
“Our key focus is on land degradation in order to protect the land for agriculture purposes, particularly in climate-vulnerable regions for the people to have food security.’’
He said that the private sector had the capital, institutional knowledge, technical expertise, and implementation experience to make sustainable development a reality.
“Through institutional strategy on private sector engagement, Nigeria can multiply its impact by redirecting and increasing the volume of private investment flowing toward sustainable activities.
“If we are successful in our engagement with the private sector, we will bring about an important transition in the green movement.
“From one that was seen as a major cause of environmental degradation to one that is a critical contributor to protecting the environment and achieving sustainable growth.
“It is only this way we can leverage scarce public resources with private investments and entrepreneurial know-how to generate results on a global scale.’’ (NAN)