The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) says it is developing a code of conduct for its staff members.

NESREA’s assistant director of press, Amaka Ejiofor, said this in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.

Ms Ejiofor said the initiative was being taken with the support of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, (UNODC).

She said that NESREA’s director-general, Dr Innocent Barikor, who underscored the very important role the agency plays in protecting the environment, necessitated the adoption of standards and guidelines to govern the actions of staff.

”The code of Conduct is being developed as part of the corruption risk assessment and mitigation for frontline wildlife and forest authorities in Nigeria.

” It aligns with the implementation of the strategic objectives of Article 5 of the National Strategy to Combat Wildlife and Forest Crimes in Nigeria 2022-2026.

“Institutions of this nature must be able to display certain qualities and identify certain basic strategies in the pursuit of their mandate.

”The code of conduct will address issues of ethics, and promote professionalism, mutual respect, and integrity, while ensuring equity and instilling a sense of responsibility,” he said.

She said that the development of the code is being facilitated by an anti-corruption and ethics consultant, Rasheedat Okoduwa.

Ms Ejiofor said its code of conduct will further improve efforts at tackling wildlife trafficking in the country.

 (NAN)