FG unveils electronic data centre to tackle environmental challenges

The Federal Government has unveiled the Environmental Health Council of Nigeria (EHCON)’s Electronic Digital Centre to enhance research and foster collaboration with international partners in tackling global environmental challenges, among others.

The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, while unveiling the centre on Thursday in Abuja, described the gesture as a significant step in the shared commitment to environmental health, sustainability and national development.

Lawal said that the unveiling of the state-of-the-art Electronic Data Centre was a testament to collective ambition to drive data-centric and evidence-based decision-making in environmental health.

He identified some of the key benefits and transformative potential of the centre as data Integration and accessibility, among others.

“The centre will provide a centralised platform to gather, store and manage environmental health data; ensuring that stakeholders across all levels both federal, state and local governments have access to reliable and up-to-date information.

“The centre will provide Real-Time Monitoring and Early Warning Systems–with enhanced data analytics capabilities; the centre will enable us to monitor environmental conditions in real time, identify emerging threats and deploy early warning systems to prevent crises.

“It will support evidence-based policy making, enhance research and foster collaboration with international partners to tackle global environmental challenges.

“It will serve as a hub for training, fostering a culture of innovation among environmental health professionals and equipping them with the tools needed to address contemporary challenges.”

The minister identified environmental health public well-being and sustainable development and emphasised that the health of the environment directly impacted on the health of the people, the stability of the economy and the future of the nation.

According to him, EHCON has long been a pillar of national efforts to safeguard environmental standards and ensure public health safety.

“We celebrate not just a new facility, but also the continued vision of EHCON to remain a leader in environmental health innovation and governance.

“By embracing digital technology, EHCON demonstrates its commitment to modernising its operations; aligning with international best practices and addressing the evolving challenges of environmental health in a dynamic and interconnected world.

“This initiative aligns seamlessly with the Federal Government’s broader environmental agenda, which prioritises sustainable practices, climate resilience and public health.

“The Ministry of Environment is committed to strengthening agency collaboration with the council which will further boost EHCON’s capacity of providing quality services to clients as well as provide effective and efficient control of its records.’’

He said the ministry was poised to ensuring the total digitalisation of processes of all its agencies with a view to entrenching smooth and seamless communication with all stakeholders in the environment sector.

“Our vision for environmental sustainability requires the collective efforts of government agencies, private sector actors, civil society and every Nigerian citizen.

“This centre is not just a tool for EHCON— it is a resource for the nation, designed to support all stakeholders in making informed decisions that safeguard our environment and promote public health,’’ he said.

Dr Yakubu Baba, Registrar EHCON, described the digital centre as national situation digital centre purposely for prompt attention to any environmental issues across the country.

Baba said the project, which was funded by the World Bank, would avail populace opportunities to access environmental health professionals promptly irrespective of location in the event of any environmental health issues.

According to him, the project was conceptualised as a child of necessity looking at the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu tailored towards efficient service delivery and also looking at to reduce cost of governance.

“The digital centre is a one stop shop which has a lot of value chain and a dream come through.

“The objective of the centre is to create a workflow looking at the hardship face by the civil servants; we want to see a situation whereby the time spent in the office is less.

“With this gesture, you can sit at the comfort of your room and attend to your job within few minutes

“It will address the distant gaps and processes practitioners in the state undergo in the process of sending their physical forms to Abuja for registration and licensing.

“With this centre, they can sit at their comfort zones, fill the forms and attach the necessary documents within few minutes,” he said.