Adebayo Adenrele
The Ekiti Knowledge Zone (EKZ) has restated its commitment to upholding the highest environmental and social safeguards standards in the execution of projects within the zone, warning contractors against practices capable of compromising workers’ safety, community wellbeing and the environment.
The Project Coordinator of the Ekiti Knowledge Zone, Ms. Lolade Olutola, gave the assurance in Ado-Ekiti during an Environmental and Social Safeguards Training organised for project contractors themed: “Building Responsibly, Managing Risks, Creating Value: Integrating Environmental and Social Safeguards for Sustainable Project Delivery”.
Addressing journalists, the Project Cordinator sad the training was designed to strengthen contractors’ understanding of environmental and social requirements applicable to the projects.
Olutola said the commitment of the EKZ to responsible and sustainable project delivery went beyond meeting technical specifications and construction timelines, stressing that contractors must also comply fully with the Environmental and Social Framework of the African Development Bank (AfDB).
According to her, compliance with environmental and social safeguards was a fundamental contractual requirement and an essential component of the successful delivery of the Ekiti Knowledge Zone.
“Every contractor here is bound not only by technical specifications and timelines, but by the African Development Bank Environmental and Social Framework.
“We will not tolerate such actions. Supervision will be continuous and non-compliance will attract consequences, because the credibility of this project, and of Ekiti State before our development partners, rests on what happens on this site every single day.
“Let us build this Zone the right way responsibly, safely, and in true partnership with the community that has entrusted us with its land and its future,”
In his lecture, Dr Tayo Taiwo urged the contractors to strictly comply with the environmental and social safeguard requirements of the African Development Bank (AfDB) to ensure sustainable project delivery and minimise adverse impacts on host communities.
He said the workshop was designed to ensure that contractors fully understood the environmental and social safeguard systems of the African Development Bank and adhered strictly to the applicable requirements throughout the lifespan of the projects.
According to him, the engagement was also intended to identify areas where contractors and project personnel might have knowledge gaps and provide the necessary guidance to address them.
