Environmental Impact Assessment Management for Linear Infrastructure Projects in North Central Nigeria

This study examines the management of environmental impact assessment processes for linear infrastructure projects, specifically road and pipeline developments, in North Central Nigeria, evaluating the professional quality of EIA practice and the effectiveness of environmental management plans in delivering predicted mitigation outcomes. Linear infrastructure projects traverse diverse ecological zones, community lands, and sensitive watercourses, making robust EIA management essential yet frequently challenging in the Nigerian context where enforcement of EIA conditions is inconsistent. The study employs a professional audit methodology, reviewing eleven completed EIA documents for projects implemented in Kogi, Benue, and Plateau States between 2019 and 2023, supplemented by post-project monitoring site visits to four projects and interviews with NESREA regional officers and project environmental managers. Audit criteria are drawn from NESREA EIA Procedural Regulation 2011 and ISO 14001. Findings reveal that scoping quality is adequate in most assessed EIAs but that impact significance assessment methodology is poorly defined, reducing the defensibility of conclusions. Environmental management plan implementation is rated satisfactory for erosion control and rehabilitation measures but very poor for biodiversity offset commitments and community grievance mechanisms. Post-project environmental auditing is absent in all reviewed cases. NESREA monitoring visits to project sites occur at insufficient frequency to detect mid-project deviations from approved management plans. Recommendations include mandatory third-party environmental audit requirements for linear infrastructure projects and NESREA capacity building in specialist impact assessment competencies. Keywords: environmental impact assessment, linear infrastructure, EIA management, Nigeria, NESREA.