The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has announced a new environment policy aimed at enhancing its waste management practice and reducing pollution across its areas of operations.
The Group Managing Director of the Corporation, Dr. Maikanti Baru, made the disclosure at this year’s World Environment Day celebration held at the NNPC Towers in Abuja.
Represented by the corporation’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), Gas and Power, Engr. Saidu Mohammed, the GMD in a keynote address explained that the new environment policy would enable the corporation to effectively manage waste streams generated during its operations by using the best available technology to ensure that the people and environment are protected.
Baru noted that the state-owned petroleum corporation was committed to continual improvement of its waste management practice in line with the recently signed policy, adding that the corporation would henceforth employ the “principle of the 3Rs – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle – to achieve goal zero of no-harm to people and no harm to environment throughout its operations”.
He pointed out that the theme of this year’s World Environment Day, “Beat Plastic Pollution” was a call to action for everyone to tackle one of the most worrisome environmental challenges by making positive changes in their everyday lives to reduce the heavy burden of plastic pollution on the environment.
The NNPC boss said that “we have all contributed to this problem – mostly unknowingly – and we must work together to reduce and ultimately to end plastic pollution”, adding that plastic is composed of major toxic pollutants that could cause great harm to the environment in the form of air, water and land pollution.
In his remarks, NNPC Chief Operating Officer (COO), Corporate Services, Mr. Isah Inuwa, said NNPC, as a responsible corporate entity, was obliged to celebrate the World Environment Day which is a day set aside for people around the world to take ownership of their environment and actively engage in its protection.
Similarly, the corporation’s General Manager, Group Health Safety and Environment Department, Engr. Ahmed Shehu, explained that in its bid to institutionalize proper waste management practice across the areas of operations of the NNPC, the department had disposed of all identified electronic waste (e-waste) in an environmentally friendly manner.
Shehu disclosed that the department had also conducted awareness campaigns to cleaners and was in the process of introducing effective waste segregation practice in its headquarters as pilot scheme, adding that the corporation is prepared to join forces with stakeholders globally to reduce the menace posed by plastic pollution.
The guest lecturer, Dr. (Mrs.) Augusta Ayotamuno of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, hinted that researches had shown that more than eight million tons of plastics were dumped in the ocean yearly and that about $13 billion was required annually to clean up the ocean.
To mitigate the risks associated with plastic pollution, she canvassed proper environmental practice through strict adherence to the three Rs, segregation of waste in coded bins as well as transformation of solid waste.
She commended NNPC on its environmental policy and called for strict enforcement to ensure compliance.
The World Environment Day (WED) is celebrated globally on the 5th of June every year.
The primary goal of the day is to mobilize citizens and organizations to take ownership of the environment, clean it up and put in place modalities to addressing issues that impact negatively on its sustenance and viability.
