VZCZCXRO8019
PP RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHUJA #2304/01 3291345
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 241345Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY ABUJA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4531
INFO RUEHOS/AMCONSUL LAGOS 0317
RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 002304 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR OES/ENV PRATHER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV ENRG EAGR ECON EFIS EPET NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: FIRST ENVIRONMENT SUMMIT EXPOSES PROBLEMS 
 
REF: ABUJA 2275 
 
¶1. Summary:  From October 20-21, 2008 the Nigerian government (GON) 
hosted its first ever environmental summit where participants from 
the federal and state governments, civil society and academics 
assessed the environment and discussed approaches for sustainable 
development.  The summit provided a forum for lively and spirited 
discussions, where several environmental NGOs and academics 
criticized the GON for lack of vision and paying lip service to 
protecting the environment.  The forum concluded with the signing of 
a 23-point national environmental pledge and with a recommendation 
to integrate the environment into the national agenda.  A promised 
action plan is still being debated.  The overall assessment of 
observers is that Nigeria is unlikely to meet several of the 
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), particularly reducing by half 
the number of the people without sustainable access to safe drinking 
water by 2015.  End Summary 
. 
THE STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT 
---------------------------- 
. 
¶2. The summit, which was officially inaugurated by Vice President 
Goodluck Jonathan, identified deforestation and land degradation; 
drought and desertification, flooding and soil erosion; oil, gas and 
industrial pollution; and urban decay and municipal waste as the 
main environmental challenges that Nigeria faces.  Additionally, the 
country's large population (140 million in 2006), rapid population 
growth rate of 3%, significant rural to urban migration, 
unsustainable agricultural practices, and lack of proper hazardous 
waste management were identified as exacerbating  the situation. 
According to a study presented by Professor Olusola Ojo from the 
Department of Geography at the University of Ibadan, these adverse 
conditions are resulting in climate change in Nigeria and unless 
urgently addressed pose significant threat to the sustainable 
development of the country and its security.  He urged the GON to 
strengthen and enforce its environmental standards in order to 
improve the current "unacceptable" state of the environment and 
impending future threats. 
. 
DEPLETING WATER RESOURCES AND POOR MANAGEMENT 
--------------------------------------------- 
. 
¶3. Data provided at the summit indicates that only 35% of the rural 
and 50% of urban populations have access to reliable water supply. 
According to Professor Ojo, surface and groundwater contamination 
and depleting water resources are major challenges and a potential 
source of conflict, especially in rural areas.  He pointed out the 
state water agencies lack adequate capacity and resources to address 
these challenges.  In the urban setting, lack of effective planning, 
ageing pipes, and unreliable supply of electricity for water 
treatment were identified as the main problems.  Professor Oladele 
Osibanjo, Regional Coordinator for the Basel Convention, stated that 
"unless drastic measures are taken Nigeria is unlikely to attain the 
Millennium Development Goal (MDGs), particularly reducing by half 
the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking 
water and basic sanitation by 2015." 
. 
NORTHERN NIGERIA TURNING INTO A DESERT 
-------------------------------------- 
. 
¶4. According to GON estimates, the process of desertification in 
northern Nigeria due to climatic variations (recurring drought) and 
unsustainable human activities (deforestation and overgrazing), is 
expanding at an alarming rate of .06 Kilometers per year.  Nine 
states (Bauchi, Borno, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Yobe 
and Zamfara) are officially designated as desertification front line 
states (DFSs).  These states have a combined population of 34 
million and account for 38% of Nigeria's total land mass.  To 
counter desertification and support economic activity in the DFS 
states, the GON established in the 1970s the River Basin Authorities 
(RBDAs) and embarked on the construction of large dams and pumping 
stations. 
 
¶5. By 1990, the RBDAs had built 162 dams with a total capacity 
sufficient to irrigate 725,000 hectares.  However, the sites chosen 
didn't always have sufficient irrigable land nearby.  Consequently, 
only 293,117 were developed out of which only 218,000 hectares are 
regularly irrigated.  Professor Ojo described these large public-run 
and capital intensive projects "disappointing, and negatively 
affecting the hydrology of the downstream areas, accentuating the 
desertification process."  To combat further desert encroachment, 
the GON has introduced the Greenbelt Program, a project to establish 
a 1,500 km shelterbelt across the extreme north part of the country 
(from Kebbi State in the west to Borno State in the east) covering 
the desertification frontline states.  Several nurseries have been 
established in the frontline and buffer states with each nursery 
capable of producing up to 1 million seedlings per annum.  Hundreds 
of thousands of trees have been planted, since the program's 
establishment in 2004 but there is no clear data to evaluate the 
success of the program.  (Note:  the Ambassador has promoted the 
 
ABUJA 00002304  002 OF 002 
 
 
planting of trees through active participation in the Abuja Greening 
Project, a tree planting project in the capital city.  End Note). 
 
¶6. Several states in the south suffer from gully erosion and 
landslides.  According to recent press reports, the government has 
declared south east Nigeria an ecological disaster zone.  Following 
an October 29 meeting, Vice President Jonathan and the governors of 
five affected states (Anambra, Ebonyi, Imo, Abia, and Enugu) agreed 
to set up a committee to improve the situation. 
. 
COASTAL AND MARINE POLLUTION 
---------------------------- 
. 
¶7.  Experts contend that activities related to the oil and gas 
industry in the ecologically sensitive Niger delta cause serious 
pollution to marine resources.  According to Professor Osibanjo, 
incessant oil spills (largely from illegal oil bunkering) pollute 
natural and drinking water sources and destroy farmlands.  Other 
causes include dumping wastes and discharges into the sea, gas 
flaring and emission from power generation.  Lack of proper waste 
disposal facilities, weak regulations and penalties and poor 
enforcement are additional challenges.  He recommended that the 
Nigerian government develop and implement a comprehensive 
institutional framework to prevent coastal and marine pollution, 
including at Nigeria's main sea ports.  The Nigerian Oil Spills 
Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) lacks resources and 
institutional capacity to counter marine pollution.  (Note:  In 
January 2009, the U.S. Mission will receive a Science Fellow from 
the U.S. Department of Energy with expertise in oil spill detection 
and recovery.  The Fellow will be detailed to NOSDRA for six weeks 
to help build the agency's capacity.  End Note). 
. 
INADEQUATE WASTE DISPOSAL AND MANAGEMENT 
---------------------------------------- 
. 
¶8. According to various speakers, Nigeria generally practices waste 
disposal rather than waste management.  Municipal solid waste is an 
intractable problem beyond the capacity of most municipal and state 
governments.   Disposal of waste without segregation is the norm and 
as a result is causing significant damages to the environment. 
Leachates from refuse dumps percolate into and contaminate the 
surface and groundwater leading to public health problems in various 
communities. 
 
¶9. Electronic waste is a new growing hazard.  Data from 
presentations at the summit demonstrate that 400,000 used computers 
enter the country monthly, of which only 25% are functional.  Crude 
methods are being used to repair or recover precious metals from the 
unserviceable used computers while the rest is burnt or dumped 
mainly in the Lagos area.  Professor Osibanjo said "a chemical time 
bomb is ticking from an old industrial solid waste dumped in Lalupon 
local government area in Oyo State."  The Osibanjo asserted that 
West African Battery Limited, a defunct acid battery manufacturing 
plant, dumped waste containing 8-10% lead (confirmed by lab 
analysis) close to highly populated villages around Lalupon, causing 
significant threat to children and pregnant women.  The main 
challenges to effective waste management are lack of resources, 
adequate infrastructure (waste collection, treatment, and disposal 
facilities), and public awareness. 
. 
Comment 
------- 
. 
¶10. The summit served as an excellent platform for frank exchanges 
between the GON and various stakeholders.  It concluded with a 
recommendation to integrate the environment into the national agenda 
and the signing of a 23-point national environmental pledge.  If 
followed through with concrete measures, these steps will go a long 
way to address the myriad of environmental challenges that Nigeria 
faces. 
. 
¶11.  (U) This cable was coordinated with Consulate Lagos. 
 
SANDERS