Jude Chukwuemeka
Not only do banks refrain from giving out loans so that major construction projects or other
environmental projects could be completed, government also compounds the issue by
withdrawing from encouraging the consulting engineer.
Lagos State is situated in the southern-most end of south western Nigeria. It is 3,577 sq. km. in
size with a maritime shoreline of about 180km, as its southern border. According to a report from
the Nigerian Environmental Society, about 22% of the total landmass of Lagos is made up of a
network of creeks, rivers and lagoons and the state is endowed with 147,877 hectares of
swampland and large areas of water bodies suitable for aquaculture to feed its ever increasing
human population of over 14 million people.
About 80-85% of the industries in Nigeria are located in Lagos State and they all discharge their
effluents into the Lagos Lagoon. Think of what this means for people living around those areas
and what it entails for precious sea life.
No doubt, Lagos lives on water. Yet most of that is polluted. The state is a place of wonderful
opportunity for the Nigerian youth, yet he suffers from ill health due to environmental hazards.
Yet, even the hazards provide opportunities for employment. These opportunities are often too
far away from the horizon of policy makers to be considered.
Known for its strategic geographical location and resource of people, the state that has a large
population is in itself an asset but if not properly harnessed, things may go wrong as indicated by
the constant threat posed on its people.
Some of the problems confronting environmental engineers include solid waste management, air pollution, water
quality, water supply, wastewater treatment, hazardous waste, and public hygiene and all these must be managed so
that the people in our cities can be healthy.
Economically, Lagos is thriving. The geographical location of Lagos State as a coastal state
makes international trade really easy. The state can boast of about 60% of trading activities at the
ports across the country. The government is ready to mitigate the various environmental threats
posed on inhabitants of the state by climate change and other health hazards. Though, to a large
extent, vehicular emissions pose a great amount of threat on humans, climate change, lack of
clean water and sanitation cannot be relegated to the background.
Environmental engineering is a discipline that addresses these concerns by seeking engineered
solutions to ecological problems. These environmental predicaments are over and over again
very complex and require a multi-disciplinary approach. Some of the problems confronting
environmental engineers include solid waste management, air pollution, water quality, water
supply, wastewater treatment, hazardous waste, and public hygiene and all these must be
managed so that the people in our cities can be healthy.
In 2008, when Governor Babatunde Fashola became the number one man in the state, he
commented: “We have an opportunity here and we also have a challenge. The challenge is how
to manage over 9,000 metric tons of waste that are generated everyday, which is larger than what
some countries generate. My predecessor succeeded in initiating the waste to wealth programme,
which is now operational in Ikorodu where they are turning our organic waste into organic
fertilizer.”
“We have an opportunity here and we also have a
challenge. The challenge is how to manage over
9,000 metric tons of waste that are generated
everyday, which is larger than what some countries
generate.” – Governor Babatunde Fashola
Of course, the role of the engineer comes in when waste has to be turned into fertilizer; an added
benefit for agribusiness sector. This is not to say that this is the only solution to waste. There are
many different ways of solving the issues attached to environmental waste.
The governor emphasized the large opportunities available for employment opportunities and the
need for private companies to come together with public enterprises to tackle environmental
problems. Skills are needed and engineers would supply almost all of that.
Among other things like deficit of equipment capacities, the governor stated that his
administration is on the lookout for “technical support to enlarge our capacity to deal with big
issues by leveraging on opportunities that exist now on carbon credit, carbon emissions by
reducing the number of vehicles on the road and waste to wealth programmes. The benefits will
include managing much more efficiently our waste disposal that constitutes a very serious danger
to the society.”
Major projects that has to do with the environment of course must go through a most severe
environmental review process before the engineer can proceed with the projects, and the state
government must do everything possible to ensure a positive outcome to their environmental
review process.
First Step: Advocacy
There has been positive summits in the past regarding managing the challenges associated with
environmental problems. One of such was the 1st International E-Waste Summit in Nigeria,
which was held from 24 th to 25 th February, 2011 at Oriental Hotel, Lekki-Epe Express Road,
Victoria Island, Lagos. The theme of the Summit was REGULATION AND MANAGEMENT
OF E-WASTE IN NIGERIA. This is purported to be the first Summit of its kind in Nigeria and probably in Africa following the International Conference on E-Waste Control held by the
National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) in July,
2009 otherwise known as “THE ABUJA PLATFORM ON E-WASTE”.
However, it suffices to say that more advocacies are still needed in this area. If the federal and
state governments could mobilize engineers to gather at summits and conferences four times in
each year, much could have been attained in Nigeria when it comes to engineering successs. The
support that engineers can get in the way of funding and encouragement can make them sacrifice
more, not just for Lagos state, but for Nigeria. More attention should be given to sponsorship and
promotion of ideas postulated by engineers.
It has been noted that most of the time warnings and advice given by engineers are ignored. The
government and even people; notable decision makers often fail to see things in the same angle
that the engineer sees them. Furthermore, there is difference in one person’s opinion as separate
from another. Interests clash and in a situation whereby each person is most concerned about
what he or she thinks should be done, progress is often hampered.
Not only do banks refrain from giving out loans so that major construction projects or other
environmental projects could be completed, government also compounds the issue by
withdrawing from encouraging the consulting engineer.
Second Step: Motivation f
Back in the 70’s, people often told engineers to look for other means of livelihood. They said
that the Nigerian engineer lacked the capacity to manufacture products or solve problems
because they did not have the tools. Things have changed today, but there is still room for aiding
the consulting engineer to be the best he can be for this country Nigeria.
For the engineer, there are great opportunities for employment, which include working in
industry, government, research organizations, and consulting. Environmental engineers have
opportunities for working with computers, conducting laboratory studies, and doing field
sampling, evaluation but all these require adequate funding.
When government and stakeholders realize that there are needs for more environmental
engineers in many segments of society around the world to find practical solutions to
environmental issues, maybe things will start to look up for the consulting engineer and these
engineers in turn would not think much about seeking greener pastures elsewhere other than in
Nigeria.