The Nigerian Senate has expressed dissatisfaction over insufficient funding for agencies under the Federal Ministry of Environment, particularly the poor releases of budgetary allocations.
The situation, the parliament said, highlights the ongoing struggle to secure necessary funding for crucial environmental initiatives, impacting both agency operations and the broader ecological health of the nation.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment, Senator Ned Munir Nwoko, stated this on Monday at the 2025 budget interactive session with officials of the Ministry of Environment, describing the situation as inhuman while lamenting that about 5,000 Nigerians have faced salary delays due to these financial constraints.
He further expressed concern about environmental governance in Nigeria but vowed the commitment of the Senate to increase the budgetary allocation for the year 2025 to enable the agencies to carry out their environmental initiatives.
Yakubu Mohammed Baba, the Registrar of the Environmental Health Council of Nigeria (EHCON), reported that agency staff have not received salaries since January 1, 2024.
“This issue stems from EHCON and 13 other professional bodies being initially excluded from budgetary allocations. While the other bodies have since been reinstated, EHCON remains without funding.”
In light of these concerns, Mahmud Adam Kambari, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, assured that steps are being taken to resolve the funding issues. He indicated that the matter has been escalated to both the President and the National Assembly for urgent attention.
The Senate Committee on Environment is advocating for better funding and support for environmental agencies like EHCON, highlighting the critical impact of financial constraints on public service delivery and environmental management in Nigeria.
Senate expresses dissatisfaction over insufficient funding for environmental agencies