Daily Trust - the online edition

Lack of infrastructure that can help run the country’s industries is responsible for environmental degradation, chairman, Association of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employers, Dr Sola Fakankun, said in Abuja yesterday.

He was speaking at the consultative meeting with the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency [NESREA].

According to him, Nigeria’s industries do not have regular supply of water, light and other infrastructure to be able to free the country from pollution thereby ensuring sustainable environment.

Dr. Fakankun however said AFBTE aims for partnership with NESREA in order to improve the environmental management status of its members.

He said: "AFBTE supports the need to review some of the provisions in the national environmental standards to more realistic values; such values should be based on what is achievable using the available technology".

The association is always seeking ways to ensure that it is self regulated against practices that are less than its value propositions. All members have been encouraged to put in place cleaner production technolo-gies, adopt waste minimization practices and install effluent treatment plants for wet process operations, he stated.

Speaking earlier, Director General of NESREA, Mrs. Ngeri Benebo, said lack of efficient effluent treatment plants that have modern facilities has resulted in their inability to treat some of the critical pollution indicator parameters to acceptable standards.

She added that the meeting was called in order to forge the way forward on sustainable environmental protection in the country.