Nigerian manufacturers have enough problems. They struggle with poor infrastructure, high cost of production, low patronage, smuggling, poor access to capital and multiple taxes.
Therefore, the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) should not add to these problems.
NESREA was established in 2007 to ensure compliance with environmental laws.
The agency, which is under the Ministry of Environment, has the power to establish and enforce administrative penalties, seal and close down premises or facilities whose activities pose an imminent threat to life and property even while a warrant or court order is being sought from the court.
While the agency makes efforts to ensure that the environment and human health are protected from harmful environmental practices, some manufacturers in the chemicals and electrical space say it takes time to get NESREA clearance.
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For starters, NESREA clearance is required by the Customs when a manufacturer imports chemicals or electrical-related input. BusinessDay checks on the website of NESREA revealed that getting the agency’s clearance involves four steps. The clearance is expected to be obtained in 48 hours if all the requirements are complied with, according to the agency’s website, but some manufacturers say this is not often the case.
At an interactive session between the agency and the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) weekend, some manufacturers complained that they had to pay almost N2 million on air quality and air toxic clearance, audit report, and N1 million to NESREA-listed consultants to get clearance. Even with the consultants, delays have become inevitable, thereby stalling delivery of raw materials to factories, manufacturers said.
More so, manufacturers are meant to renew their permits each year and get audit reports every three years, which combine to raise production costs.
“You will all agree with me that despite the effort of our government, our members are confronted with varied challenges in the process of carrying out their businesses,” Segun Ajayi-Kadir, director-general, MAN, said.
“The activities of NESREA are crucial to safeguarding our environment. It, therefore, suffices to say that the agency can provide solutions to the challenges being confronted by our members in their various locations as it relates to the environment,” Ajayi-Kadir, represented by Ambrose Oruche, director of corporate affairs, said.
Okey Akpa, chairman, Chemical & Pharmaceutical Sectoral Group of MAN, said manufacturers are constantly faced with environmental challenges bothering on regulations, obtaining permits, overregulation, balancing the ecological system in the wake of growing concern for environmental sustainability, the use of green energy and multiplication of functions by government agencies.
Akpa, represented by Shoji Oladimeji, vice president of the group, explained that without the alignments of the functions of these agencies, manufacturers would be burdened with additional costs of production which would continue to make products manufactured in Nigeria uncompetitive in the international market.
On his part, Oladimeji said most of the manufacturers not complying with NASREA regulations were those that do not belong to MAN.
Jide Mike, former director-general of MAN, urged the agency to check second-hand products that litter the country.
Defending NESREA, Aliyu Jauro, director-general, /CEO of the agency, said good environmental governance presupposes effective and adequate environmental compliance monitoring and enforcement mechanism to address environmental problems at all levels.
Represented by Miranda Amachree, director of inspection and enforcement at the agency, Jauro said sustainable development could only be achieved in an atmosphere of good environmental governance.
He said some of the consultants engaged by manufacturers do not look at documents any more, adding that delays happen because manufacturers have not submitted all the required documents.
“You need to have an environmental officer in your facility,” he advised.
He explained that the new Extended Producer Responsibility has been on since 2009 and operational guidelines prepared since 2014, adding that some practices like burning of cables to get copper can cause health challenges when inhaled. She said this is what the agency is trying to prevent from happening.
ODINAKA ANUDU
