Environment Africa magazine and TwoFourSeven Communications Company have unveiled their list of the foremost 100 living environmental professionals in Nigeria with two ministers in the fore front.
The Minster of Water Resources, Engr. Suleiman Adamu; and his Environment counterpart, Barrister Mohammed Abdullahi, were named along with foremost chartered accountant, Pa Akintola Williams, who is also co-founder of Nigeria Conservation Foundation.
Also in the eminent group are founding member and Pioneer President of Nigeria Environmental Society, Chief Idoniboye-Obu; first African Professor of Wildlife Ecology, Prof. Sunday Ajayi; first African Professor of Green Economics, Prof. Magnus Onuoha; Desmond Majekodunmi and Gbemisola Akosa.
And surprisingly, names not readily associated with the environment such as Nigeria Country Director of UN Global Compact, Naomi Nwokolo. She leads business-led sustainability initiatives, and oversees 129 top corporate organisations in Nigeria. Founder of CSR-in-Action, Bekeme Masade-Olowola, who has developed an enviable capacity in sustainability processes and reporting, is also in the list.
The concept behind the listing is to recognise those who contributed as pioneers to the shaping of the country’s environmental sector or who are paving new pathways and strengthening the growth of the sector through dint of dynamic initiatives.
Principal Consultant of TwoFourSeven Communications, Stephen Ipalibo Lawson said: “It was really a case of nail biting and hair pulling. There are so many professionals in the sector who stand out with so many innovative solutions, interventions and drive.
“At the end, we had to do a balancing act to figure out who could stay on the list or not. And obviously, that balancing act meant we had to go beyond the traditional and be quite dynamic on representation”, he concluded.
“For instance, we focused more on those offering much more dynamic interventions within the sector than just one facet of it. Or pick someone based on actual influence on policy and representation with real time impact than otherwise, in as much as that impact is felt locally.”
Among the factors considered were;
1. Practice – Those who have developed industry shaping indigenous capacity in environmental service sectors.
2. Advocacy – Advocacy that has shaped policies and changed major dynamics of interactions within the sector
3. Influence – Majorly refers to those in positions of executive authority and across sector representation
4. Mentorship – This refers to pioneers who have contributed and still contributing to the development of the sector
The list covers professionals invested in climate action, waste management, green energy, remediation activities, corporate sustainability, environmental infrastructure, policy and advocacy.
“With the recent floods, unveiling the list is deliberate as it provides an opportunity for us all to step back and look at what the professionals listed here signify — hope and determination. It gives us a sense that we have the requisite capacity to engage ourselves, if only we can allow ourselves to find the capacity within us to deal with all sorts of environmental crises and proffer solutions.
“So, we do believe with this wealth of experience, capacity, youth and determination; the brain and grit trust in the environmental industry is alive and available for use here in-country”, Editor of Environment Africa magazine, Sam Nwosu said.
Environment Africa will publish the profiles of the listed professionals highlighting their individual capacities in a digital issue, while certificates of recognition will be presented to them at a ceremony in Lagos on 16th of December during the magazine’s SEA Awards of Excellence.
