J48716 Willend EIA ResearchReport V4 FINAL - Flipbook - Page 21
Figure 3.1: Diagram of the Divisional structure of Office of Environmental Assessment within FMEnv
Department
Leadership
Oil & Gas
Division
EIA
Division
Each of FMEnv’s divisions has a clearly defined
remit and related functions – see https://
ead.gov.ng/about-us/ - generally linked to
the implementation of specific environmental
legislation. As a consequence, providing the roles
needed to implement a digital enabled approach
to EIA (or other departmental) work is not easily
supported by this structure. This approach is
different to NOSDRA’s structure (see Figure
2.1), as the above provides no clear place in the
organisational structure to recruit and place
dedicated IT, GIS and other digital support staff.
- Co-ordination across Government bodies
and systems. Linked to the barrier of digital
data, discussed above, is the challenge of
data – digital or otherwise – existing in multiple
different organisations and at different levels
of governance – Federal, State, Local. While
not an issue that the EIA system can seek
to resolve, as it currently lacks any oversight
duty / responsibility, the need to identify what
information is gathered and held by which
Standards &
Monitoring
Mining
Environmental
Assessment
organisations and how this could be shared
will need considerable coordination and take
time to build trust to enable sharing and active
investment to maintain once coordination and
active exchange / external access is enabled.
- Learning from previous investments. The EA
Department has secured previous digitisation
support from World Bank funds and more
recently, at a smaller scale, from the FMEnv
budget. Whilst this funding has led to significant
advancements in the availability of technology
and the contracting of external suppliers to
deliver systems there are lessons to be learnt.
Firstly investments in technology – scanners,
computers, etc – has a limited life unless ongoing funds are secured to maintain such
systems. Secondly, when it comes to the
contracting of 3rd party suppliers to create
digital systems there is greater need for early
agreement on scope and needs from the EA
officers to ensure systems that are developed
are effective in their application.
Willend Associates and FothergillTC Ltd – Ambitions, Challenges & Opportunities - Progressing Digital EIA in Nigeria
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