The Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Health Council of Nigeria (EHCON), Dr. Yakubu Mohammed Baba, has been honoured with an Award of Excellence by the North-East Youth Consultative Forum in recognition of his contributions to environmental and public health development.
The award was presented on Tuesday, June 17, 2026, at the Registrar’s Office, Federal Secretariat Phase I, Abuja.
Speaking during the presentation, Dr. Baba highlighted the Council’s proactive role in promoting preventive healthcare and addressing emerging public health challenges across the country.
According to him, EHCON has remained at the forefront of preventive health interventions through the development and implementation of innovative initiatives aimed at tackling both emerging and re-emerging environmental health concerns.
“The Council has been at the forefront of preventive health, driving new initiatives to address emerging and re-emerging challenges,” he said.
Dr. Baba explained that, in line with global best practices and recommendations by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Council regulates approximately 24 areas of environmental health practice.
He noted that contemporary challenges such as climate change and its impact on public health have necessitated the integration of new focus areas into the Council’s operations, including Health Impact Assessments as a key component of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA).
“According to the World Health Organization, the Council is mandated to regulate approximately 24 areas of practice. However, given current global realities, critical issues such as climate change and health have been integrated into our operations,” he stated.
The EHCON Registrar further disclosed that the Council is undergoing strategic reforms aimed at strengthening its capacity to address evolving public and environmental health challenges in Nigeria.
“The Council is repositioning itself to meet the changing demands of public and environmental health in Nigeria. A key aspect of this reform process is establishing the necessary institutional structures and equipping our workforce with the manpower required to effectively drive policy implementation and regulatory frameworks,” he said.
Dr. Baba identified the reduction of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions as one of the Council’s priority areas, noting that the objective is being pursued through strategic Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in response to the growing threat of global warming.
Expressing appreciation for the recognition, Dr. Baba described the award as particularly meaningful because it came from young people from his home region.
He pledged to sustain collaboration with the North-East Youth Consultative Forum and reaffirmed his commitment to supporting initiatives that promote environmental sustainability, public health, youth development and community advancement.
The North-East Youth Consultative Forum commended the EHCON Registrar for his leadership and dedication to advancing environmental health standards in Nigeria, describing his contributions as worthy of recognition and emulation.