The Head of Service in Rivers State, Inyingi Brown, has urged environmental professionals to design practical, sustainable frameworks to address the state’s pressing waste disposal and sanitation challenges.
Brown made the call during a courtesy visit by the newly elected executives of the Nigeria Environmental Society (NES), Rivers State chapter, in Port Harcourt.
Congratulating the new state chairman, Loveday Frank, the Head of Service emphasised that strategic synergy between environmental experts and government institutions is vital to restoring cleanliness in the state capital and adjacent communities.
Addressing wider ecological challenges, Brown stressed the need for rigorous environmental oversight.
She called for strict compliance with Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) mandates among private entities and industries to curb rampant pollution and degradation.
In response to the association’s request for a permanent office building, Brown directed the executives to formally write to Governor Siminalayi Fubara for potential land allocations and financial backing.
Furthermore, she urged the NES to immediately align with the state Ministry of Environment to prepare for the upcoming 2026 World Environment Day celebrations slated for June 5.Earlier in the meeting, Rivers NES Secretary Olowu Emmanuel lauded the current administration for its worker-centric reforms.
He specifically highlighted the ongoing renovation of the State Secretariat Complex, the implementation of the new minimum wage, and the timely disbursement of festive bonuses to both civil servants and retirees.
While Emmanuel commended the government’s current efforts to clear a new refuse dump site, he insisted that Rivers State must transcend rudimentary dumping and adopt sophisticated waste management systems, citing Lagos State’s engineered landfill systems as a model.
He further lobbied for increased funding in environmental sectors, the protection of fragile watershed areas to stave off urban flooding, and requested the HoS’s presence at the upcoming World Environment Day events.
Reinforcing the secretary’s position, Ikechukwu Agbagwa, a professor and senior fellow of the society, noted that despite modern technological advancements, Rivers State still lacks a structured, durable waste management framework.
Agbagwa strongly cautioned against indiscriminate refuse dumping, recommending instead transitioning away from open dumps to scientifically managed sites.
Implementation of mandatory domestic waste sorting before disposal and increased budgetary investments directed heavily toward sanitation and active environmental preservation.
The professor validated Brown’s appointment as Head of Service and pledged the unalloyed commitment of the NES to aiding the state in policy formulation.
Closing the event, Chimenum Mpi thanked the visiting delegation and assured the society that their expert recommendations would be compiled and escalated to the appropriate authorities for swift administrative review.
