The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, has assured partners of the federal government’s commitment to the effective maintenance of the Environmental Health Data Centre.
Lawal gave this assurance in Abuja during the recent unveiling and commissioning of the Environmental Health Council of Nigeria (EHCON) Electronic Data Centre.
Speaking at the event, the Minister emphasized that the centre will enhance EHCON’s service delivery by eliminating fraudulent certifications and ensuring the production of credible, verifiable results. He described the launch of the centre as a milestone in the government’s dedication to environmental health, sustainability, and national development.
Lawal further highlighted that the data centre will facilitate data-driven and evidence-based decision-making in environmental health. Key benefits include improved data integration, accessibility, real-time monitoring, early warning systems, advanced analytics, and support for policy formulation and implementation.
In his opening remarks, Dr. Yakub Baba-Muhammad, Registrar of EHCON, expressed gratitude to the World Bank and other partners for their role in establishing the facility. He emphasized that the centre aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the current administration and its Performance Management System (PMS).
Dr. Baba-Muhammad added that the centre will modernize EHCON’s operations, enabling a shift from analogue to digital processes. It will also support online registration for members, online exams and certification, information management, data harmonization, seamless feedback mechanisms, and the printing of official documents.
In separate goodwill messages, Mr. Abdulhamed Umar, Project Coordinator of the Agro-Climate Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project, Dr. Ede, and U.S.-based carbonization expert Sadiq Sani, pledged their ongoing support for the centre. They noted that the facility has the potential to unlock new opportunities for Nigeria’s circular economy and promote sustainable environmental practices.
