Ogun State - Amosun Calls For Public-Private Sector Intervention On Environmental Matters

[OgunState]

  

Ogun State Government has underscored the need for a public- private partnership towards providing policy instrument to address environmental challenges confronting the State.The State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun made this call in Abeokuta while declaring open a two-day international conference and workshop tagged “Uplifting the Environment: Ogun- State – Nigeria Goes Green”.     Amosun said if established, the partnership would help in offering great potentials for pursuing a sustainable development of the environment, urging residents of the State to be proactive rather than waiting for environmental disasters to occur before taking actions.     “I must say that there is need for public –private partnership in providing an important policy instrument which will facilitate effective concern for environmental challenges. This will help in offering great sustainable development of our environment”, Amosun noted.     The Governor explained that the drive to attract investors and develop infrastructure notwithstanding, his government had been mindful of the impact of all these on the environment and had carefully taken steps necessary to protect the environment, adding that Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) were always carried out before embarking on any construction.     “Even in our investment promotion and industrialization drive, we always make sure that the investor and the proposed factory will not impact negatively on our environment. In doing this, we ensure that we do not only build an economically viable state, but also a socially stable and friendly environment”. Amosun assured.     Also speaking, wife of the Governor who initiated the programme, Mrs. Funsho Amosun, said it would advocate the basic steps needed in reducing adverse environmental impact on the people.  Mrs. Amosun said Africa had become the focus of global deliberations and discussions on the international scene; mainly because of its vast resources and its huge potential for degradation if not sustainably managed ,adding that the conference would among other things highlight ways of reducing adverse environmental impact, saving money and having healthier life .     In his address, the Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Lanre Tejuoso appealed to the people of the State to desist from activities such as felling of trees without replanting, burning of wood for fuel ,improper waste disposal and emission of dangerous gas as they could have adverse effect on the environment.     He said there were opportunities for public-private-partnership in environmental projects like waste collection and disposal, a development which he noted has made the State a destination of choice for waste to wealth project.     The Commissioner added that there were new openings for investors in bamboo tree plantation in the State, because of its high commercial and environmental value in Nigeria and Africa, saying it would make the State a leader in the production of environmentally sustainable charcoal.

Via: Ogun State Government - Official Press Release

[Folami David]

Public and Private coming together would definately result in something good at the end of it all. Let's see how it will all pan out