The federal government has asked the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) and other stakeholders to improve on the environmental regulatory framework and use of cleaner technologies for a sustainable future.
Minister of State for Environment, Dr Iziaq Salako, gave the charge on Thursday at the maiden Environmental Performance Award for the oil and gas sector in Abuja.
The event was organised by NOSDRA in collaboration with the Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN), an NGO.
Salako identified effective environmental regulatory mechanisms in the petroleum industry as essential for sustainable resource management, climate change mitigation, economic efficiency and accountability.
The minister said such a mechanism was also crucial for building public trust for operational social licensing, legal and international compliance.
He said oil and gas is unarguably the world’s most vital but most environmentally disruptive industry.
Salako, however, stressed the need for effective regulation of the sector to ensure that the benefits of oil and gas production were balanced.
