The Environmental Health Council of Nigeria (EHCON) has reiterated its commitment to implementing the National Emergency Response Initiative on Environmental Public Health Impacts of Greenhouse Gas Emissions (NERI-EPHIGGE) nationwide.
The Registrar of EHCON, Dr Yakubu Baba, stated this on Monday during a stakeholders’ engagement on greenhouse gas emissions and the declaration of a public health emergency on environmental-related diseases, held in Abuja.
He explained that the NERI-EPHIGGE framework provides a structured, coordinated and results-driven approach to addressing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Baba lamented that environmental-related diseases linked to GHG emissions remain one of Nigeria’s most pressing yet under-recognised public health challenges.
“Immediate and coordinated action is essential to prevent further loss of lives and safeguard national development,” he said.
He outlined key pillars of EHCON’s implementation plan, including the nationwide deployment of Environmental Health Practitioners (EHPs) to all 774 local government areas and the six area councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
According to him, the practitioners will serve as frontline agents for environmental health surveillance, compliance monitoring and community risk communication.
Baba added that the council would collaborate with other Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to roll out mandatory emissions testing, environmental health compliance certification and standardized reporting mechanisms for industries and transport operators.
“EHCON will operationalize environmental health surveillance and response units to monitor emission-related health risks, conduct routine environmental inspections, collect and report real-time data, and support emergency environmental health interventions,” he said.
He noted that the council would work closely with the Federal Ministry of Environment, the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), the Federal Ministries of Health and Transportation, State Ministries of Environment and local government environmental health departments.
Baba added that continuous training and professional development for EHPs would ensure they are equipped with modern surveillance tools, digital data-collection systems, advanced risk-assessment skills and effective community engagement strategies.
He said the initiative aligns with Nigeria’s Climate Change Act, national environmental regulations, the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the Sustainable Development Goals and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The registrar stressed that EHCON was ready to lead the technical implementation, working with all stakeholders to safeguard Nigerians’ health and protect the environment.
He explained that the engagement was convened to present findings from extensive field surveillance, environmental health assessments and stakeholder consultations conducted by EHCON as part of its statutory mandate.
“We have observed a rising burden of environmental-related diseases linked to greenhouse gas emissions.
“These pollutants not only harm our environment but directly endanger the health, productivity and livelihoods of Nigerians. This engagement is not merely a meeting; it is a national call to action,” he said.
Also speaking, the National President of the Environmental Health and Public Health Practitioners of Nigeria, Dr Samuel Akingbehin, assured the council of the association’s readiness to collaborate in bridging government policy with grassroots implementation for a safer and healthier country.
Mr Obriki Juliano, Chief Executive Officer of Oxytane Africa Investment Ltd, said the organization was mandated to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve fuel efficiency across the transportation, power and industrial sectors.
He pledged the company’s commitment to working with EHCON and relevant agencies to minimize emissions and ensure a safer society.
