the grant funding previously secured from WorldBank related initiatives. The opportunity to seekto supplement this on-going FMEnv funding, ofthe Department’s digital EIA ambitions, with newsupport from the World Bank / other Multi-lateralFinancial Institution or other development relatedfinance is discussed further in Chapter 3.The Department’s current work on progressingDigital EIA is linked to Section 57(1) of the EIAlegislation, which sets out the need for FMEnvto develop a public registry for EIA projects.This registry is expected to allow access toEIA Reports, consultee responses and otherdocuments related to the EIA process. TheDepartment has recognised the opportunity ofproviding this registry in digital form, to enable fargreater access than if it were a hard-copy archivemaintained at the Ministry’s headquarters. TheDepartment’s ambition, however, goes furtherthan this recognising that the development of anactive digital registry for live EIA documents duringthe process, would provide far more benefitsand make a much bigger step in modernising theFMEnv’s EIA management systems, than simplyinvesting in a digital archive to store documentsafter the process has been completed. Suchan active system would enable efficiencies forExpert Review Panel members to quickly accessdocuments and enable greater opportunity forstakeholders to engage with Nigeria’s EIA system,alongside existing newspaper advertisements andavailability of documents in State capitals andlocal facilities.Current progress being made by the FMEnv inrelation to the Department’s digital EIA roadmap,include:- EIA Portal Phase 1 this includes thedevelopment and deployment of the EIAregistration system, enabling EIA projectdevelopers to undertake the first phase ofthe formal EIA process – Registration (see 2.1above) online. This phase will not only enableregistration, but each EIA will have a projectprofile, which the Department can providefeedback on.- Installation of a Local Area Network (LAN)system within its headquarters. This is a keydevelopment as it will provide the ICT systemcapacity for the Department to install localservers that will act to both host and enableusers online access to the forthcoming OnlineEIA Registry.- Geographic Information Systems (GIS)software, the Department has identifiedGIS-Lab as a suitable system to enable thegreater use and deployment of GIS mappingof environmental data for its Officer’s. Whilesoftware and licence requirements havebeen secured the deployment, operationand maintenance of this GIS systemsacross the Department is on-hold. Such GISsystems require skills and experience thatare more commonly associated with ICTprofessionals than those working in EIA. Thisarea of digital EIA progress highlights a keychallenge for the FMEnv’s EnvironmentalAssessment Department as the planningand implementation of any major digitalsystem development and roll out requires ICTprofessionals, but the Officers within its staffare inevitably of environmental and scientificbackgrounds. As such, at present furthertraining and upskilling of a proportion of theDepartment’s staff is required to enable it toprogress the digital portal; however, ultimately aICT team within the Department will be required,and is likely to require skills and experience thatcannot be quickly or easily developed in existingstaff via training.The FMEnv’s online registry system, is the startingpoint for its EIA Portal, which will act as thegateway upon which wider digital functionalitywill be built, including the EIA document archiverequired by Section 57(1) of the EIA law, as well asthe ability to manage key steps in live EIA process.Willend Associates and FothergillTC Ltd – Digitization in and around Nigerian EIA11
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