Nigeria: 'Made-in-Nigeria' helicopter to undergo EIA, commenced Federal Government

For the first-ever 'made-in-Nigeria' helicopter, the Federal Ministry of Environment and the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) have initiated the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), according to a report by Sundiata Post.

Manufactured through reversed engineering by NASENI, it would be the first non-commercial helicopter project as per the report.

As stated by Muhammad Abubakar, Environment Minister, the EIA projects would be conducted to identify the possible mitigation in equipment insulation be it solid, noise, and liquid pollution.

Signing the statement on Thursday, Abubakar made the statement while receiving the NASENI's management team headed by Mohammed Haruna, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive.

He reportedly said that the "Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) is part of every endeavor on the planet but especially when you talk of aviation, there is a lot of impact on the environment from accidents in aviation, birds strike, noise, vibration, wastes that will be created etc... The EIA projects entails a number of things like project registration, site verification for project categorisation and screening environmental data collection and a lot more. It will identify possible mitigation in the insulation of abetment equipment whether noise, pollution both solid and liquid pollutants are all the EIA project will look at. Let me implore you to ensure that EIA is conducted on all your projects to enhance their sustainability."

Explaining his part, Haruna added that NASENI is striving to launch the first aircraft that is 'made-in-Nigeria' and so the agency needs to meet up the environmental regulations, as per the report.

He further added that "we must be accessed and permitted to test any engine in the environment. We have designed, developed and fabricated jet engines that EIA is being conducted by the Ministry of Environment and we want it to be fast tracked, we also want the Ministry to collaborate with us but supporting larger and mass production of our solar products which contributes to the reduction of emission. The Minister has rolled out their roles and told us things that must be in place for the technical teams visit, we believe that by the end of the year 2021, Nigeria should have its first made-in-Nigeria aircraft."