The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has introduced new environmental audit guidelines to address critical gaps in evaluating industrial environmental performance in Nigeria.
The guidelines, unveiled during a workshop in collaboration with the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), India, are designed to enhance the accuracy and standardisation of environmental audit reports across various industries.
Environmental audits assess the performance of facilities and organisations against environmental benchmarks. However, NESREA identified deficiencies in existing reports, including inconsistent formats, inadequate technical data, and a lack of continuity with Environmental Management Plans (EMP) established during Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA).
During the launch, NESREA’s director general, Dr Innocent Barikor, said most of the audit reports NESREA receives often lack important information and fail to reflect the actual status of operating facilities. He said the reports also fail to integrate information from EMPs, making it difficult to evaluate compliance effectively.
“High-quality audit reporting is a foundation to environmental compliance and enforcement. Our reports are key instruments that guide policy, inform industry standards, and ultimately shape environmental performance across sectors. This workshop will emphasise best practices for reporting, including enhanced environmental data interpretation, effective visualization, and clear communication of findings and recommendations,” the NESREA DG said on Wednesday. The goal is to produce audit reports that are actionable and technically robust, providing clear guidance for industries and facilities to improve their environmental management practices.
The revised guidelines provide a streamlined framework for conducting and reviewing audits. NESREA has also emphasised a commitment to verifying parameters in submitted reports and penalising consultants involved in falsification or plagiarism.
Bariko urged the consultants to properly equip themselves with the knowledge audit system to effectively address climate change issues. “You must recalibrate your ability to do this work, which is dependent on your knowledge of the issues.”
The guidelines focus on the inclusion of robust technical and quantitative data, such as production capacity, resource usage, waste generation, and mitigation measures.
CSE representative Ishita Garg underscored the importance of comprehensive data for regulatory compliance and process improvement: “Most previous reports were qualitative, lacking essential quantitative data like energy and water consumption. Without this data, it’s challenging to evaluate trends or implement corrective measures effectively,” Barikor said while unveiling the guidelines document yesterday in Abuja.
Garg said comparative data over multiple years is critical for understanding whether an industry’s environmental performance is improving or declining.
NESREA’s director of inspection and enforcement, Mr Isa Abdussalam, described the guidelines as a tool for advancing environmental accountability:
“These guidelines will assist regulatory bodies, project proponents, and consultants by emphasising technical and quantitative details, ensuring audits are comprehensive and actionable.”
NESREA aims to bolster Nigeria’s environmental governance and industry compliance by standardising environmental audits. The guidelines are expected to foster improved process efficiency, resource optimisation, and adherence to environmental regulations, ultimately driving sustainable industrial development.
Bariko said his office is monitoring the activities of the state field offices to ensure that staff do not obstruct or interfere with the work of NESREA-accredited consultants. “Going forward, the agency will be verifying the parameters in the Audit Report submitted by consultants and will also take decisive action against any consultant that engages in falsification, fabrication and plagiarism,” he told the audience.
