The Federal Government has launched the Environmental Standards Certification Scheme.
The scheme is a national certification framework that equips professionals with verified environmental standards, knowledge, and practice.
The aim is to help address weak regulatory compliance and fragmented environmental practices and capacity gaps across sectors.
The Environmental Standards Certification Scheme is a pioneering initiative under the Sustainable Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards Enhancement project supported by the World Bank.
Speaking at the launch, on Tuesday, the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, said that the initiative underscored the government’s unwavering commitment to strengthening environmental sustainability and ensuring compliance with global best practices.
He noted that the essence of the project was to equip professionals across the sector with the necessary skills to meet international deadlines.
Lawal who was represented at the launch by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Mahmud Kambari said that despite the numerous challenges, the team was able to push through.
The Minister said: “It is with great honour and profound gratitude that I stand before you today to mark a historic milestone in Nigeria’s environmental governance with the official launch of the Environmental Standards Certification Scheme. The initiative underscores our unwavering commitment to strengthening environmental sustainability and ensuring compliance with global best practices.
“As you may all be aware, this journey to this moment was long and challenging. Yet, it was rewarding. This project was conceived to enhance capacity building in procurement, environmental and social standards towards equipping professionals across the sector with the necessary skills to meet international deadlines. Although the road to this launch has not been without obstacles, the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the timeline, causing a disruption in project readiness and delay in funding disbursement.
“Furthermore, as the first of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa, this noble certification scheme poses equipped challenges in securing sustainable consultants to develop the required digital quota.
“Despite these setbacks, our dedicated team supported by the National Project Coordinating Office domiciled at the National Universities Commission worked relentlessly to ensure that today we unveiled a robust structured certification system that will set a new standard for environmental governance in Nigeria.
“The Environmental Standards Certification Scheme is designed with four frontier frameworks. One foundation, intermediate, associate and specialist levels assuring a progressive and structured approach to competency development.
“The online certification portal, which is now live, has been carefully designed and structured to streamline access to self-paced training on the learning management system, including examinations and certifications, making professional development more accessible and transparent.
“The seamless integration of this advanced learning management system requires examination platforms and automated certification issuers will undoubtedly ensure efficiency and credibility in this system.”
The minister stressed that “the initiative goes beyond certification. It is about strengthening the institutional framework for environmental management. It provides a strategic platform for continuous professional development and serves as a catalyst for national and regional capacity building.”
He also commended the World Bank for its invaluable support, the National Universities Commission, and the dedicated Project Implementation Unit, PIU, for their hard work and perseverance, as well as the Working Group on Environmental Standards, all stakeholders, including environmental practitioners, consultants, academicians, for their contribution in shaping the initiative.
