REPORT ON THE STUDENT INDUSTRIAL WORK EXPERIENCE SCHEME

CARRIED OUT AT

THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY

BENIN CITY, EDO STATE

IMARHIAGBE IWINOSA
LSC2006672

DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY

FACULTY OF LIFE SCIENCES
UNIVERSITY OF BENIN
BENIN CITY, EDO STATE
 JANUARY-APRIL 2024
DECLARATION
I declare that the contents of this report are my original work and no part of it has been lifted
or quoted from other sources with full and adequate citation of the sources and without credit
given to the original authors of the cited or quoted. I also declare that this work has not been
presented in any form for any award or publication elsewhere.
 CERTIFICATION
This is to certify that IMARHIAGBE IWINOSA, a student of the Department of Animal and
Environmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Benin, carried out his
industrial training at the Ministry of Environment and Sustainability.

_______________________ ____________________
Dr Nosa Erhunmwense Date
IT Coordinator

_______________________ ____________________
Dr Mike Omoigberale Date
Head of Department
(Animal and Environmental Biology)
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Firstly I give all glory to god who sustains life and provides wisdom, knowledge and
understanding.

I sincerely thank the Head of the Department, Dr Mike Omoigberale, my IT Coordinator, Dr

Nosa Erhunmwense and all the lecturers and staff of the Department of Animal and
Environmental Biology for the opportunity to participate in this Industrial Training
 ABSTRACT
This report is a recollection of the experience and knowledge gained during the Student
Industrial Work Experience Scheme(SIWES) attachment to the Ministry of Environment and
Sustainability. It highlights the role the ministry plays regarding the state's environment and
natural resources. It details the history of the SIWES programme and it's importance to
students, the history of the ministry, it’s organisational structure and the functions of its
major departments. It includes visits made to the Eco-Waste to Wealth recycling plant and its
aim to move from a linear economy model to a circular economy model as well as the
processes involved in recycling plastics for reuse. Also highlighted is the 3-day training event
performed at the John Odigie Oyegun Public Servant Academy set up by the Parks and
Gardens commission as well as a field trip to three different gardens, teaching about the
medicinal and commercial benefits of horticulture. St Mentioned is a series of lectures
detailing the concepts of Environmental Impact Assessment and Climate Chamge.
Instrumentation and learning the use of various instruments in day to.day activities by the
ministry was also discussed. Dew
 TABLE OF CONTENT
Title Page i
Declaration ii
Certification iii
Acknowledgement iv
Abstract v
Table of contents – vi
 CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION TO SIWES

SIWES(Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme) was established in 1973 by the
Industrial Training Fund(ITF) to ensure university, polytechnic and college of education
students, obtain adequate industrial and practical experience in industries relating to their
course of study, thus bridging the gap between theoretical studies and practical industrial
working. SIWES is a cooperative internship program which permits students to spend a part
of their study course on relevant job training to get practical experience in specific areas of
the Nigerian industry.
Several bodies involved in the management of SIWES are:
 The Federal Government
 Industrial Training Fund
 National University Commission
 National Board of Technical Education
 National Council for College of Education
Some aims and objectives of SIWES include:
 Provision of students with opportunities to apply their knowledge in real work
experience
 Preparation of student for business career by merging their analytical power with self-
reliance
 Exposing students to work methods and techniques in handling equipment and
machinery that may not be available in educational institutions
 Developing and enhancing personal attributes such as critical thinking, creativity,
initiative, resourcefulness, leadership, time management, presentation skills and
interpersonal skills
 Enhancing student contact with potential employers while on training.
1.1 HISTORY OF THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY
The history of the Ministry of Environment and Sustainability can be traced back to the days
of EDSEPA (Edo State Environmental Protection Agency), the Ministry of Environment and
Transport and the Ministry of Environment and Public Utilities. At the inception of this
present Administration of His Excellency, Godwin N. Obaseki, the name of the Ministry was
further changed to Ministry of Environment & Sustainabichlity. This has been done with a
strong belief that issues concerning the Environment must be kept sustainable in line with
International best practices. Perhaps, it should also be emphasized that it was in regard of this
importance that Environmental Sustainability is a lone Pillar of the six (6) thematic Pillars of
this Administration.
The Ministry is a regulatory body saddled with the responsibility of managing the
Environment on behalf of the State Government. In managing the Environment, the Ministry
tackles all Environmental problems ranging from Flood and Erosion Control, Forest
Management and Regeneration, depletion and degradation and general Environmental and
Waste Management issues.
In addition to its core functions, the Ministry exercises supervisory roles over several
parastatals, including:
1. Edo State Waste Management Board (EWMB).
2. Edo State Flood and Erosion Watershed Management Agency.
3. Edo State Forestry Commission.
4. Edo State Parks and Gardens Agency.
5. Edo State Signage and Advertisement Agency.
1.2. ORGANISATION STRUCTURE OF THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT
AND SUSTAINABILITY
 Figure 1. Organogram of the Ministry of Environment and sustainability.

The Ministry is composed of four(4) major Departments. They are:

1. Department of Shared Services:

 Develop, implement and monitor HR and Administration strategies and
initiatives across the organisation aligned with the overall ministry strategy
and mandate
 Maintain and update the Ministry database, organizes a filing system for
important and confidential company document
 Coordinate the proper administration of all procurement, contractor
registration, appropriate pricing and timely delivery of goods and services.
  Formulate and administer the Ministry's overall financial plans and policies
and oversee all finance and accounting activities such as budgeting,
forecasting, account reconciliation and deficit and surplus reporting.
 Drive the initiative for ICT-driven administration, by so doing, ensuring that
staff are sufficiently computer literate and have uninterrupted access to
internet connectivity.

2. Department of Environmental Assessment and Climate Change

 Coordinate the State Climate Change Action Plan such as inventory of
Greenhouse Gas(GHG) emission sources, mitigation of impacts of climate
change and implementation of adaptation activities on climate change impacts
as well as support the creation of a policy on climate change in Edo State
 Sanitary inspection of facilities
 Disposal of special/hazardous wastes
 Establishment of waste disposal sites and systems in Companies
3. Department of Environmental Monitoring, Enforcement and Compliance
 Analytical evaluation of Discharge Monitoring Report(DMR), Compliance
monitoring report and Audit report from industries.
 Compliance monitoring visits to industries.
 Oil spillage investigation
 Registration of Environmental Consultant/fumigation agents
 Issuance of various environmental permits
 Response to public complaints on pollution cases.
4. Department of Policy, Planning, Research and Statistics
 Monitor macroeconomic and relevant trends, analyze their implications on
EDSG strategic direction and operations and identify opportunities
 Manage the articulation of EDSG’s long-term strategic direction including the
preparation of the annual strategy document
 Coordinate the development of the annual strategic plan including specific
performance goals and objectives at the EDSG, ministry, departmental and
divisional levels as part of the annual planning and budget preparation process
 CHAPTER TWO

2.0 LECTURE SERIES

Lectures were given as a means of introduction and insight into the roles and activities of the
Ministry of Environment and Sustainability as well as detailing the need for active
participation by members of the society in ensuring the total well-being of the environment

2.1. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT (EIA)

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is the assessment of the environmental
consequences of a plan, policy, program, or actual project prior to the decision to move
forward with the proposed action. It is a tool of environmental management forming a part of
project approval and decision-making. Environmental assessments may be governed by rules
of administrative procedure regarding public participaction and documentation of decision-
making and may be subject to judicial review. The purpose of the assessment is to ensure that
decision-makers consider the environmental impacts when deciding whether or not to
proceed with a project.
Stages of Environmental Impact Assessment:
 Project identification
 Screening
 Scoping
 Preparing the EIA report
 Making an application and consultation
 Decision-making
 Post decision
2.2. ENVIRONMENTAL AUDIT
An environmental Audit provides an assessment of the environmental performance of a
business or organization. The audit reveals details about the activities of a company and its
compliance with environmental regulations. Audit information is presented to the
management team and employees.
An environmental audit evaluates and quantifies environmental performance. It identifies
compliance problems or management system implementation issues.
Figure 2. Environmental Audit Letter
2.3. ENFORCEMENT
Thisis the act of compelling people or citizens to adhere with a particular law, rule or
obligation. It is carried out by environmental officers (mainly. Scientific Officers and
Environmental Health Officers) to compel citizens to abide by environmental laws.
Figure 3. Enforcement and closure of business operation by the Ministry
2.4. CLIMATE CHANGE
In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in
global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. The current rise in
global average temperature is more rapid than previous changes and is primarily caused by
humans burning fossil fuels. Fossil fuel use, deforestation, and
some agricultural and industrial practices add to greenhouse gases, notably carbon
dioxide and methane. Greenhouse gases absorb some of the heat that the Earth radiates after
it warms from sunlight. Larger amounts of these gases trap more heat in Earth's lower
atmosphere, causing global warming.
Figure 4. Graph of Global durface temperature since the Industrial revolution

Climate change has an increasingly large impact on the environment. Deserts are expanding,
while heat waves and wildfires are becoming more common. Amplified warming in the
Arctic has contributed to thawing permafrost, retreat of glaciers and sea ice decline. Higher
temperatures are also causing more intense storms, droughts, and other weather
extremes. Rapid environmental change in mountains, coral reefs, and the Arctic is forcing
many species to relocate or become extinct, Even if efforts to minimise future warming are
successful, some effects will continue for centuries. These include ocean heating, ocean
acidification and sea level rise.
Climate change threatens people with increased flooding, extreme heat,
increased food and water scarcity, more disease, and economic loss. Human migration and
conflict can also be a result. The World Health Organization (WHO) calls climate change the
greatest threat to global health in the 21st century.
Effects of climate change include:
 Higher average temperatures
 Longer lasting droughts
 More intense wildfires
 Sea level rising
 Flooding
 Reduced soil health
Some climate change mitigation strategies include:
 Sustainable energy and sustainable transport
  Energy conservation, including efficient energy use
 Sustainable agriculture and green industrial policy
 Enhancing carbon sinks and carbon dioxide removal (CDR), including carbon
sequestration
 Forest Conservation

2.5. TRAINING OF STAFF ON A-Z RUDIMENTS OF LANDSCAPING

HORTICULTURE AND BEAUTIFICATION OF EDO STATE

This was a 3-day training event held from 20th January to 1st February 2024 at the John
Odigie Oyegun Public Servant Academy(JOOPSA). Five lectures were presented during the
event which were as follows:

Introduction to Landscaping Horticulture by Egah Fortune

Method of Ornament Propagation and Soil Profiling by Prof. S.U. Ewansiha

Rudiments of Tree Planting Environment Impact by Dr Samson O.

Nursery Management and Wreath Flowers Bouquet and Cut Flower Arrangement
Mbachuchika Kingsley and Mrs Ngozi Nzekwu

Types of Lawgrass and Shrubs Cultivation Method and maintenance/Herbal use of some
ornamental plants by Pa SP Odigwe and Egah Fortune
Figure 5. JOOPSA TRAINING EVENT
 CHAPTER THREE

3.0 FIELD TRAINING

Along with the lectures came a few field training exercises made to give experience and real-
time visual learning to the Industrial Training students

3.1. JOOPSA FIELD TRAINING

In addition to the lectures from the JOOPSA event was a field trip and training in three
different gardens around the Benin City metropolis. Medical values of different fruits and
plants like persimmons and passionfruits were noted along with the commercial value of
bouquet making utilizing different bright coloured flowers.
Figure 6. Garden of Fortune, Benin Technical College.
Figure 7. One Garden Sapele road

Figure 8. Pa Odigie Garden, Aduwawa

3.2 LANDFILL VISIT

A landfill site is a site for the disposal of waste materials. Landfill is the oldest
and most common form of waste disposal. Some landfill sites are used for waste
management purposes, such as temporary storage, consolidation and transfer,
or for various stages of processing waste material, such as sorting, treatment, or
recycling. The landfill visited was located at Saint Saviour, Benin city, Edo state
where heaps of recyclable waste were placed, weighed, sorted, crushed and
ready for sale and reuse.
Figure 9 crushed waste

Figure 10 Machine used to crush waste.

3.2 ECO-WASTE TO WEALTH VISIT
The company's project is to convert “Eco-waste to wealth”. It is mainly concerned with using
a socio-economic approach to solve plastic pollution and generate wealth, with the aim to
move from the Linear economy model to the Circular economy model.
The linear economy, sometimes referred to as the take-make-waste economy, is a system where
resources are extracted to make products that eventually end up as waste and are thrown away.
Products and materials are generally not used to their full potential in a linear economy and, as the
name suggests, always move in one direction – from raw material to waste. It is a polluting system
that degrades natural systems and is the driver of global challenges, including climate change and
biodiversity loss.
The circular economy is a system where materials never become waste and nature is regenerated. In a
circular economy, products and materials are kept in circulation through processes like maintenance,
reuse, refurbishment, remanufacture, recycling, and composting. The circular economy tackles climate
change and other global challenges, like biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution, by decoupling economic
activity from the consumption of finite resources.
The circular economy is based on three principles, driven by design:
 Eliminate waste and pollution
 Circulate products and materials (at their highest value)
 Regenerate nature
Plastics are recycle by:

 Sorting by polymer type

 Shredding
 Washing
 Melting
 Pelletiing
 Making into new products.

It is a two-stage process:

 Sorting is mainly done automatically with a manual sort to ensure all contaminants
have been removed.

 Once sorted and cleaned, plastic can either be shredded into flakes or melt processed
to form pellets before finally being moulded into new products.
 CHAPTER FOUR

4.0 INSTRUMENTATION

Instrumentation is a collective term for measuring instruments, used for indicating,

measuring, and recording physical quantities. It is also a field of study about the art and
science of making measurement instruments, involving the related areas
of metrology, automation, and control theory. The term has its origins in the art and science
of scientific instrument-making.

Instrumentation in the Ministry of Environment and Sustainability was carried out by the
Industrial Training supervisor and head of the Department of Climate Change, Mr Kenneth
Woghiren, who made note of the different equipment used in carrying measurements and
analysis on industrial, commercial and domestic environments to ensure compliance with
environmental guidelines and rules.

4.1. SOUND LEVEL METER

A sound level meter (also called sound pressure level meter (SPL) is used
for acoustic measurements. It is commonly a hand-held instrument with a microphone. The
best type of microphone for sound level meters is the condenser microphone, which combines
precision with stability and reliability. The diaphragm of the microphone responds to changes
in air pressure caused by sound waves. That is why the instrument is sometimes referred to as
a sound pressure level meter (SPL). Sound is measured in decibels(dB).

Sound Level Meter helps the Ministry detect noise pollution in communities and areas such
as nightclubs and event gatherings. It helps determine if the sound emitted is suitable for
human hearing. 70dB or below is considered the optimum sound level by the World Health
Organization.
Figure 11. Sound level meter
4.2. SOIL AUGER
Auger is a tool used primarily for soil sampling, but also for sampling peats and other
unconsolidated sediments. The simplest and most universal form has a screw head to bore the
soil or sediment. Alternative auger heads are available for more specialized needs. Standard
augers sample to one metre depth, but extension rods can be attached enabling sampling at
deeper levels.
Figure 12. Soil Auger
4.3. CENTRIFUGE
A centrifuge is a device that uses centrifugal force to subject a specimen to a specified
constant force, for example to separate various components of a fluid. This is achieved
by spinning the fluid at high speed within a container, thereby separating fluids of
different densities or liquids from solids. It works by causing denser substances and particles
to move outward in the radial direction. At the same time, objects that are less dense are
displaced and moved to the centre. In a laboratory centrifuge that uses sample tubes, the
radial acceleration causes denser particles to settle to the bottom of the tube, while low-
density substances rise to the top. A centrifuge can be a very effective filter that separates
contaminants from the main body of fluid.
Figure 13. Centrifuge
4.4. WIND VANE/ AN ANEMOMETER
A wind vane is an instrument used for showing the direction of the wind.
Anemometer is a device that measures wind speed and direction. It is a common instrument
used in weather stations.
Figure 14. Wind vane and anemometer
4.5. PLANT EFFICIENCY ANALYSER
Plant Efficiency Analyser measures chlorophyll fluorescence signals emitted by green plants.
Figure 15. Plant efficiency analyser

CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION
The SIWES place was exciting and the experience and knowledge gained were valuable,
providing opportunities to apply said knowledge in real-life situations.
The Aims and objectives of my SIWES placement were fully achieved and gratitude is once
again expressed to the bodies involved including the Head of the Department of Animal and
Environmental Biology, the IT coordinator and the IT supervisor.
The industrial training experience at the Edo State Ministry of Environment and
Sustainability exposed me to the intricacies of environmental enforcement actions, from the
issuance of notices to the execution of legal injunctions. It equipped me with valuable
knowledge and skills in environmental law enforcement and reinforced the importance of
upholding environmental regulations to protect the health and welfare of communities.
Furthermore, the class organized by the Ministry's Climate Change Unit was instrumental in
enhancing my understanding of the equipment used for environmental monitoring and
assessment. It provided me with valuable practical skills and knowledge essential for roles as
future environmental practitioners, empowering me to contribute effectively to environmental
sustainability efforts

LIMITATIONS
Limitations were few but the lack of fuel within the ministry and lack of transport services
limited further field training experiences and practices

RECOMMEMDATIONS AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

Addressing logistical issues such as transportation delays and resource inadequacies requires
improved logistical support. This may involve allocating resources more efficiently,
improving communication channels for transportation arrangements, and addressing any
infrastructure deficiencies.
Enhancing communication between supervisors and trainees is essential for addressing
challenges and ensuring that expectations are clearly understood. Clear communication
channels should be established, allowing trainees to seek clarification and raise concerns as
needed.