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By Amos Okioma, Yenagoa
Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Nigeria, a non-governmental organisation, has held a one-day training workshop on Environmental, Social And Human Rights Impact Assessment (ESHRIA) in Bayelsa State for community members, ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) and civil society organisations.
The training, which took place in Yenagoa, was facilitated by MacJim Foundation, the implementing partner of PWYP on the programme.
Oke Ayoka and Godson Jim-Dorgu, officials of the PWYP and MacJim Foundation, delivered presentations on ‘Human Rights and Corporate Governance’ and ‘Integrating Social and Human Rights into Environmental Impact Assessment,’ among others.
Among the state MDAs represented at the training were the ministries of education; environment; information; women affairs; works and infrastructure; trade and investment; community and social development, and social development agencies.
Stakeholders at the event expressed worry over low awareness on ESHRIA among communities as this had affected their capacity to track and evaluate development projects in their communities.
The stakeholders, in a communique, noted that there was a high level of ignorance among communities on the importance of environmental, social and human rights impact assessment and on how to go about it.
They, therefore, called for more sensitisation of communities on ESHRIA by CSOs and faith-based organisations, stressing that the state House of Assembly should also review state legislation on environmental, social and human rights impact assessment.
The participants equally suggested that the state government should empower the ministry of Environment with adequate funding for capacity building of ministry staff on ESHRIA issues.
“The state Ministry of Environment should make educative materials available on ESHRIA to other MDAs and to the public.
“The state Ministry of Environment should be proactive at vetting and setting standards for environmental, social and human rights impact assessment to both private and public corporations.
“The state government should become responsive to the plight of communities on ESHRIA and device mechanisms to address their challenges,” the stakeholders stated.
However, a representative of the Ministry of Education assured the participants that the ministry would put a process in place with a view to reviewing the educational policies to input environmental, social and human rights impact assessment.
