The Minister of State for Environment, Iziaq Salako, has verified that the Ministry of Works requested the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment of the 700km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway in December of last year.
He also mentioned that the ministry obtained a preliminary impact assessment certification for site clearance and scoping for compensation before starting the project.
Salako announced this during a ministerial press briefing in Abuja on Friday to mark the 2024 World Press Freedom Day. Our correspondent monitored the briefing.
Nigerians criticized the Minister of Works, David Umahi, for not emphasizing the ESIA aspect of the N15tn Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project during a meeting with affected residents in Lagos this week.
Umahi, when asked at the meeting if preliminary approval had been granted for the project to begin, or if there were any exceptions, simply stated that everything was in order and assured that they were strictly following due process for the highway project.
The ESIA report assesses the environmental impact of a plan, policy, program, or project before deciding to proceed with the proposed action. It also outlines how compensation would be administered.
During the briefing, the minister stated that necessary approvals were given for the project, but in phases.
He said, “Now, to answer your question. The Federal Ministry of Works applied in December last year for environmental impact and social assessment of the project and the Ministry of Environment has done its preliminary assessments, and I can confirm we have issued a preliminary impact assessment certification for site clearance and scoping of compensation. We have done that, and that is what is going on now.
“But you know that it is a very big project, a long road, so it’s not something we can do in one scoop. So we have decided to therefore approach the issuance of the certification in phases so that the project can go on and we can also be doing our part of the job.”
Salako also addressed concerns about loopholes in the existing law, stating that the ministry plans to approach the Federal Executive Council in the coming weeks to address and close these gaps.
He said, “The Federal Ministry of Environment implements the law that governs environmental assessment. And I can tell you that we take it very, very seriously. We don’t joke with it. I can tell you that in recent months, we have observed a few loopholes in the existing law, and we are already approaching the Federal Executive Council to see how to block those loopholes.”
