President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to environmental health, declaring that clean air, safe water, and sustainable practices must be the birthright of every Nigerian.
Speaking at the 2025 Environmental Health Excellency Awards Ceremony at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the President, represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, emphasized the need for bold reforms to address Nigeria’s environmental challenges.
“The ceremony is not just a recognition of individual excellence but a testament to our collective resolve to forge a Nigeria where clean air, safe water, and sustainable practices are the birthright of every citizen,” he said.
To accelerate progress, the President announced four key environmental policies aimed at improving the nation’s environmental health agenda.
These include the National Environmental Health Regulation 2024, a framework addressing pollution, waste management, and sanitation inequities; the Greenhouse Gas Emission Register, a data-driven tool to track and reduce Nigeria’s carbon footprint; the Carbon Analysis Framework, which provides a roadmap for industries to transition toward renewable energy and sustainable practices; and the Carbon Print Certificate, a national standard recognizing eco-conscious businesses and communities.
“These policies will only thrive with your partnership. The government cannot act alone. From the farmer adopting climate-smart techniques to the corporation investing in green technology, every Nigerian has a role to play,” the President added.
Following the ceremony,, Founder and CEO of Netzence Sustainability Limited, Dr. Sadiq Sani a recipient of the Environmental Excellence Award, highlighted his company’s innovative technology for real-time carbon emissions monitoring.
“Our technology contributes to making our environment much better. The more you take out the carbon, it automatically contributes to a better environmental health,” Dr. Sani said.
He noted that NetZence is collaborating with the federal government and the Environmental Health Officers Registration Council of Nigeria (EHCON) to enhance air quality monitoring and environmental health practices across the country.
“The government is working hard and in collaboration with NetZence and the Environmental Health Council of Nigeria to see how environmental health can be better improved.
Air pollution, air quality monitoring can be better improved. And what we have done is to improve the skills of environmental health specialists and practitioners in this field.
“Together with EHCON and the federal government, we are actively working towards improving the knowledge and skills of practitioners to provide a much better environment for all,” he stated.
Dr. Sani acknowledged funding challenges but expressed optimism about ongoing partnerships with the government.
“We are working with the government to see how we can enhance and understand environmental health, understand the implications, and also understand how our technologies can be used to mitigate these concerns and provide a much better environment in which we all can support the efforts of the government,” he said.
“If you take out the air pollution in the environment, then you can have a much better health condition for a lot of people in that environment.
This is what technology does—gradually, collectively working towards taking out those emissions so that everyone can breathe easily, and we can bring down, for example, the rate of diseases in that environment.”
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to recognizing individuals and organizations that contribute to environmental sustainability.
“The award is for those who really deserve it,” he said, adding that before the end of the year, the ministry would also honor individuals and institutions that have been “friends of the environment.”
He commended President Tinubu’s leadership in balancing economic development with environmental protection, describing it as “crucial for the well-being of present and future generations.”
With these new policies and collaborations, Nigeria is taking a significant step towards a healthier and more sustainable future—one where clean air and safe water are not privileges, but rights for every citizen.
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