26/05/2026
NESREA IMPOSES SOP ON 3 FACILITIES AS HOST COMMUNITY COMMENDS PROF. BARIKOR FOR PROMPT ACTION
The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has imposed a Standard Operating Procedure on two rice mills, Fortune and Alwabel, and one recycling industry, Salassar Recycling Industry, operating within the Sharada Community in Kano State, as part of efforts to curb environmental pollution arising from their operations.
The Director General of NESREA, Prof. Innocent Barikor, announced the decision during a meeting with facility operators and residents of Sharada Community held at the Agency’s headquarters in Abuja.
Prof. Barikor said the directive requiring the facilities to sign and implement the SOP was not intended to frustrate business activities, but rather to introduce measures that would benefit the industries, the host community and the environment. According to him, the SOP would provide the necessary framework to drive the needed compliance process.
He explained that although NESREA is an enforcement agency, its major focus is to ensure environmental safety through voluntary compliance rather than forceful measures, stressing, “The guarantee of our health is from the environment. It is a common pot that everyone eats from. Businesses should therefore be encouraged without endangering the lives of citizens.”
The NESREA DG also advised the industries to include environmental protection in their annual budgets and insisted they adopt temporary control measures within the stipulated time frame pending the installation of permanent pollution – control equipment.
Speaking on behalf of the Sharada Community, Architect Mohammed Babba commended Prof. Barikor for the Agency’s prompt response to the petition submitted by residents, describing the intervention as a clear indication that the issues would be resolved amicably.
Similarly, the managers of Fortune and Alwabel industries, Mallam Shehu Dalhatu and Abdulhadi Yusuf, appealed to the host community for understanding, assuring residents of commitment to addressing reported environmental challenges. They pledged to work closely with NESREA for technical support to ensure full compliance with environmental regulations.
It would be recalled that residents of the Sharada community had earlier petitioned the Agency over persistent dust and soot emissions from Fortune and Alwabel Rice Mills, as well as obnoxious odour emanating from Salassar Recycling industry. The complaints prompted regulatory intervention by NESREA, which led to the sealing of Fortune Rice Mills for non-compliance.
The SOP was formally signed by representatives of Alwabel and Fortune Rice Mills who were present at the meeting.