BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja
There is an indication that the COVID-19 pandemic aggravated unemployment crisis in the country, a situation that hyped poverty, social and civil unrest, even as factories shut down due to poor turnover.
The pandemic further rejuvenated global crisis, just as the poor, locals, public and civil servants especially in the private sector battled for survival.
Information obtained by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) website titled: “Labor Force Statistics: Unemployment and Underemployment Report", revealed that out of 69. 68 million workforce that 23.19 million or 33.3% were unemployed as at fourth quarter (Q4) of 2020.
It was against the 21.77 million or 27.1% unemployment statistics recorded in Q2 2020, a decline that was attributed to the job losses recorded at the peak of COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
This is even as the pandemic escalated environmental degradation such as air pollution, deforestation, desertification and indiscriminate dumping of refuse on the waterways.
The Commissioner for Environment, Kogi State, Hon Victor Adewale Omofaiye insisted that the state is COVID-19 free given its investment on hygiene and environmental issues, saying that no single case of the pandemic has been recorded so far.
Omofaiye said that Nigeria is one of the countries in Africa that is presently witnessing tremendous upsurge of COVlD-19 cases since 27th February, 2020 when the index case was recorded in Lagos.
He disclosed this in Abuja yesterday at a one-day capacity building workshop organised by Environment Media Correspondents Association of NIgeria (EMCAN) with the theme, "Healthy Environment: Panacea to Sustainable Livelihood".
In his presentation titled, "Environmental Challenges in COVID-19 Era:Opportunities and Plans for State Governments", the commissioner stated that African's and its economy were worst hit by the COVID-19 pandemic despite the high death rate and casualties recorded in the developed world like USA, Italy, France, Brazil and India.
Omofaiye enjoined states to domesticate the 'Polluters Pay Principle' as a means of mitigating air pollution and boosting Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), adding that municipal and medical wastes should be stored in a secured container, treated and disposed in accordance to National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA's) rules.
Polluters Pay Principle was first introduced by the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development(OECD) in 1972, which mandated persons or companies that produced harmful substances on the environment to pay for the cost of pollution.
He encouraged the private sectors to partner with states on waste management, recycling and dumpsite site management, just as he sought for increased enlightenment on illegal felling of trees.
On his part, the chairman of EMCAN, Comrade Chuks Oyema said the capacity building would provide an excellent opportunity for media professionals to widen their knowledge on environmental issues.
He pledged EMCAN's commitment in facilitating healthy and conducive environment for Nigerians, while calling on stakeholders to join forces with the organisation in implementing its polices and programmes.
Oyema stated that the workshop is a reminder on the need for journalists to monitor the 26th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP-26), scheduled for November 1 to November 12, 2021 in Glasgow, UK.
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