Students and researchers from the Institute of Geosciences and Environmental Management (IGEM), Rivers State University, have been urged to embrace environmental stewardship and practical learning as critical tools for addressing the environmental challenges confronting the Niger Delta and the country at large.
The charge was given by the Acting Zonal Director of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), South-South Zonal Office, Port Harcourt, Mr. Victor Odiba, during an educational tour by the institution to the agency’s office and laboratory facilities.
Receiving the delegation, Odiba described NESREA as the nation’s foremost environmental enforcement agency, with the responsibility of ensuring compliance with environmental standards and regulations across sectors.
He said the visit provided an opportunity for students to move beyond classroom theories and gain firsthand knowledge of environmental regulation, compliance monitoring and enforcement mechanisms.
“We are delighted to receive these students because environmental protection starts with awareness and understanding. It is important that they see the practical side of environmental management and appreciate the role regulatory institutions play in safeguarding public health and the environment,” he said.
According to him, NESREA serves as the enforcement arm of the Federal Ministry of Environment and is mandated to ensure that environmental laws, regulations and standards are adhered to nationwide.
“We are like the police of the environment in Nigeria. Our duty is to ensure that environmental standards are maintained and that individuals, organisations and industries operate in ways that do not endanger the environment,” he added.
Odiba encouraged the students to take advantage of the interaction by asking questions and gaining deeper insights into the agency’s operations, stressing that knowledge acquired through practical exposure would better prepare them for future careers in environmental management and sustainability.
Earlier, the leader of the delegation and Research Fellow at IGEM, Dr. Ibinabo Ogolo, said the visit was designed to bridge the gap between academic learning and real-world environmental regulatory practice.
She noted that the South-South region continues to grapple with environmental issues such as waste management challenges, industrial emissions, oil spills and the long-term effects of pollution, making it imperative for students to understand how regulatory agencies respond to such concerns.
“The purpose of this tour is to expose our students to the realities of environmental governance. By seeing how NESREA carries out monitoring, compliance and enforcement activities, they can better appreciate how environmental standards are implemented beyond the classroom,” she said.
As part of the tour, the students visited the National Environmental Reference Laboratory, where they were introduced to the agency’s scientific and analytical operations.
Head of the laboratory, Mr. Oghelenemu Hope, explained that the microbiology unit conducts antimicrobial resistance investigations and other microbial analyses, while the chemistry and instrumentation units provide critical scientific support for environmental monitoring and enforcement activities.
He described the facility as one of the most advanced government-owned environmental laboratories in the country.
The visit also offered students an opportunity to interact directly with environmental professionals and gain practical insights into laboratory procedures, environmental assessment techniques and regulatory compliance processes.
Speaking after the tour, some of the students described the experience as enlightening and transformative.
Mrs. Joseph Chinedu said the field trip helped clarify many concepts previously taught in the classroom.
“What we learned in class became clearer after seeing the practical processes. It was educational and opened our eyes to the realities of environmental regulation,” she said.
Another participant, Mr. Diolu Tobechukwu, described the visit as a valuable learning experience that deepened his understanding of environmental governance.
“It is one thing to study environmental regulations in theory and another to witness how they are implemented. The visit exposed us to the values, processes and challenges of environmental management from a regulatory perspective.
“We gained practical knowledge about environmental laws, compliance procedures and the role citizens, institutions and industries play in protecting the environment. It also helped us understand both the powers and limitations of regulatory agencies like NESREA,” he said.
The educational tour underscored the growing importance of collaboration between academic institutions and regulatory agencies in developing the next generation of environmental professionals equipped to tackle emerging environmental challenges.