The National Environmental Standards and Regulation Enforcement Agency (NESREA) on Wednesday sanctioned 21 facilities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for failing to comply with existing environmental laws.
Among the sealed facilities and project sites were Ochacho Real Homes Limited, Idu; Cosgrove Shopping Mall Project, Wuse II; Belmont Court, Idu and 18 others.
Speaking to the media, NESREA director-general, Prof. Innocent Barikor said the enforcement exercise was aimed at halting the environmental harm caused by the activities of these facilities. “The negative impact of construction and quarrying activities within the FCT has triggered public outcry in host communities where these facilities operate. These activities have exposed the environment to degradation, flooding, erosion and dangerous burrow pits,” he said.
Barikor noted that many operators in the construction sector continue to violate provisions of the National Environmental (Construction Sector) Regulations 2011 and the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Act. He explained that NESREA received multiple complaints, prompting investigations that led to the issuance of compliance concern notices. Despite this, the affected facilities failed to align with environmental laws, necessitating NESREA’s intervention.
He further revealed that several of the projects commenced without conducting mandatory Environmental Impact Assessments, a legal prerequisite for such developments.
The sealed facilities include: White Avenue Real Estate, Lugbe; CCECC–FIRS; Mo Mouna Construction, Katampe; Practis Project, Abuja; Belmont Court, Idu; Istrom Construction; MAB Global Estate, Idu; Ochacho Real Homes Limited, Idu; Constrix, Idu; Anarock Global Services Limited; Quali Trends Nigeria Limited; Boked International Limited; CCECC, Central Business District; Tim Tali Transport Limited; Matilda Rozi Limited; Efedi Homes, Kukwaba District; T’lon Construction and Facilities Management; Cosgrove Project Shopping Mall, Wuse II; Cosgrove Estate, Central Business District; Tayyib Homes Limited, Lugbe and Contrix Cube, Katampe.
NESREA reaffirmed its commitment to enforcing environmental standards and called on developers and firms to comply with the law to avoid sanctions and protect public health and the environment.
