The Federal Ministry of Environment was established at the inception of the civilian administration in June 1999 to protect the environment and to ensure effective coordination of all environmental matters. The Vision of the Ministry is “To ensure that Nigeria develops in harmony with the environment”, while the Mission is “To ensure environmental protection and natural resources conservation for sustainable development”.

The main function of the Ministry revolves around the following key environmental issues, especially, in the area of policy awareness, enforcement and intervention:

• Desertification and Deforestation;
• Pollution and Waste Management;
• Climate change and clean Energy;
• Flood, Erosion and Coastal Management (Shoreline Protection); and
• Environmental Standards & Regulations

The Ministry’s main thrusts are Reclamation and Rehabilitation of degraded land, Biodiversity Conservation and Eco-tourism, Effective Waste Management, Mitigating the effects of Climate Change and Effective Environmental Governance.

The Ministry has zonal offices in the six geopolitical zones of the country as well as field offices in all the 36 States and the FCT. The Ministry also has the following parastatals:

• Environmental Health and Registration Council of Nigeria (EHORECON)
• Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN)
• National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA)
• National Environmental Standards Regulatory and Enforcement Agency (NESREA)
• National Agency for the Great Green Wall
• National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA)
• National Parks Service (NPS)

Since its establishment, the Ministry has impacted on raising the issue of environmental consciousness in the minds of Nigerians as well as the interface with the global environmental best practices. The initiatives of the ministry include the Ogoni Cleanup, Green Bonds, Clean and Green Initiatives, Great Green Wall Programme, Nigerian Erosion & Watershed Management Project, and Clean Energy Initiatives.