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Environmental experts seek review of EIA Act to support just energy – EnviroNews
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Environmental experts have called for an urgent review of Nigeria’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Act and the broader environmental governance framework to support a just energy transition and strengthen environmental protection.
The experts made the call at a two-day Policy Laboratory Workshop on Strengthening the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) Framework in Nigeria, organised by the Cleen Foundation in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, July 21, 2026.
Programme Director of the Cleen Foundation, Dr Salaudeen Hashim, said Nigeria’s existing EIA framework had become obsolete and could no longer address emerging environmental challenges associated with the transition to renewable energy.
Hashim said the policy laboratory was designed to generate research-based recommendations to guide government in reforming environmental governance and strengthening legal and institutional frameworks for sustainable development.
According to him, the initiative will identify gaps in the current EIA regime, validate research findings with stakeholders and recommend practical interventions for policy reforms.
“We cannot continue to do the same thing and expect different results.
“Countries across the world are decarbonising, and Nigeria must ensure that its transition is both green and just,” he said.
Hashim said a just energy transition must guarantee community participation, inclusiveness, affordability and equitable access to renewable energy while protecting vulnerable populations.
He expressed concern over the environmental and health impacts of decades of fossil fuel exploitation in the Niger Delta, adding that weak legal provisions, poor institutional capacity and inadequate enforcement continued to undermine environmental protection.
Hashim also noted the absence of national policies and recycling facilities for the disposal of renewable energy infrastructure, such as solar panels and batteries, warning that the country could face new environmental challenges without adequate safeguards.
He further called for stronger protection of mangrove forests, describing them as critical natural carbon sinks that should not be subjected to indiscriminate logging.
Also speaking, Dr Kabari Sam, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Systems at the University of Portsmouth, United Kingdom, said the EIA Act of 1992 no longer reflected present-day realities of climate change and renewable energy development.
Sam said an assessment of the law revealed significant gaps in climate change integration, institutional coordination, community participation, accountability and governance.
He advocated greater involvement of host communities in environmental assessment processes.
Sam also urged the Federal Ministry of Environment to coordinate and lead environmental management functions currently spread across different agencies.
According to him, centralising environmental regulatory responsibilities under the ministry would strengthen monitoring, enforcement and accountability.
In his remarks, Prof. Mbalisi Onyeka, a lecturer in Environmental Education at the University of Port Harcourt, described the review of the 1992 EIA Act as timely.
He said that the legislation required comprehensive amendments to address emerging environmental and social issues.
Onyeka said the policy laboratory workshop would enable stakeholders to validate research findings and contribute recommendations to strengthen Nigeria’s environmental assessment system.
He stressed that projects requiring environmental and social impact assessments should not commence without proper evaluation of their environmental and social implications.
Onyeka also advocated the incorporation of economic impact assessments into the proposed ESIA framework to provide a more comprehensive evaluation of development projects and enable communities to make informed decisions.
He expressed optimism that recommendations from the policy laboratory workshop would support the proposed ESIA Bill and strengthen Nigeria’s legal framework for environmental governance and a just energy transition.
By Precious Akutamadu
