The Edo State House of Assembly has opened its doors of partnerships with Environmental Defenders Network (EDEN), to ensure environmental safety and protection for the people, with environmental laws and policies that conform with global environmental best practices.
This was established when EDEN paid an advocacy visit to the House Committee on Environment of the Edo State House of Assembly, to familiarise with the lawmakers and to chat the way forward on environmental health and protection in the state.
Speaking to the lawmakers, the Executive Director of EDEN, Chima Williams, who led the EDEN team, spoke on the importance of environment health as relates to the health of the people, emphasising that environmental protection is a collective duty that must take a wholesome approach.
He pointed out that Nigeria’s state of environment is at its lowest, because we have not been able to upscale our environmental laws to meet up with modern standards that have been tested and proven effective in other developed climes.
Williams stressed that the legislative arm of government is the bedrock of developmental policies, which places their duties at the front burner of every advocacy effort that is geared towards environmental and human right protection, while tackling policies that safeguards the people against plastic pollution, the destruction of biodiversity, harmful extractive practices, water and air pollution, and other environmental issues.
Responding to EDEN’s drive for environmental change, a member of the House Committee on Environment and lawmaker representing Akoko Edo Constituency II, Okogbe Donald, spoke on the menace of polythene packaging and single-use plastics as a major environmental concern in the state.
He intimated the EDEN team on plans by the House Committee on Environment to develop a bill that will restrict the use of polythene packaging and single-use plastic, which will also encourage a take-back policy to rid the state of polythene and plastic waste, as we move towards a total ban.
Okogbe added that EDEN as a network with research and projects around environmental issues will be instrumental in setting up policies and laws that will improve the environmental health of the state.
On his part, the Chairman of the House Committee on Environment and member representing Igueben constituency, Inegbeboh Ojie Eugene, added that there are several environmental policies that have been tested and proven progressive in other countries that can be implemented in Nigeria and Edo State, to ensure a clean and safer environment for the people.
He also added that EDEN’s expertise in waste management, extractives and other areas that concern the environment will be a highly welcomed addition to the bills that the committee is working on.
He appreciated EDEN and its team for the great initiative, assuring the team that the doors of the committee are always open to EDEN for partnerships, collaborations and discussions that are geared towards the good of the environment.
Earlier, EDEN also paid advocacy visits to the Edo State Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Health respectively, to strengthen environmental protection in the state, through partnerships with the key stakeholders.