The Federal Ministry of Environment has highlighted key plans towards mobilising collective action to achieve President Bola Tinibu’s ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’.

Iziaq Salako, minister of state in the ministry, disclosed this on Thursday during a top Management Retreat held at Fifth Chukker Resort, Kaduna.

Mr. Salako said that considering the deliverables, the ministry would target some thematic issues, including developing and implementing a capacity-building programme on climate financing with allied institutions or agencies.

The minister said the federal government would accelerate the implementation of the Ogboni clean-up and reclaim brownfields (contaminated) and grey fields (abandoned) into sustainable livelihood support systems across the country.

He noted that this includes issuing Environmental and social impact assessment permits to proposed major development projects in all sectors and accelerating the NOSDRA Act 2006 review.

According to Mr Salako, others include implementing the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programme and effectively implementing afforestation measures in the frontline states to mitigate the effects of desertification and erosion control measures across the country.

The minister also harped on ensuring a safe deployment of modern biotechnologies and new breeding techniques in agriculture, increasing compliance monitoring and enforcement activities and programmes to ensure compliance with extant environmental laws and standards.

Mr Salako said these would promote accountability in public delivery and initiate and implement quarterly citizens’ and stakeholders’ engagement sessions to communicate government activities and services as feedback mechanisms.

The minister, however, urged Nigerians to imbibe the tree-planting culture, reduce air travel, reduce animal product consumption, and be less destructive to nature during construction.

He said, “During construction, I will personally ensure that at least 30 per cent of the land area will be set aside for nature.

“These are messages Nigerians need to imbibe, and if we do these, the challenges of flooding, desertification, erosion and bigger challenges of climate change will be more comprehensively addressed.”

(NAN)