As major cities in Nigeria battle the challenges of plastic pollution and unhealthy environment, the Lagos State Government, through its Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, is in collaboration with the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), and Ansibad Nigeria Limited to promote a massive campaign against plastic pollution.
The advocacy and awareness campaign, tagged ‘Walk for Nature’, was held last Saturday at the Onikan Youth Centre, Onikan, Lagos.
The ‘Walk for Nature’ is an initiative of NCF, Lagos State Government, and corporate organisations for raising public awareness on critical environmental and sustainability issues in Nigeria. The walk has taken place in the state for the past 16 years and has had major partnerships with the state government and corporate organisations.
The 17th edition, which held at three different locations simultaneously under the theme ‘Solutions to Plastic Pollution’, had participants drawn from corporate organisations, residents, students, and government officials.
In opening the event, the state Commissioner of the Environment and Water Resources, Barrister Tokunbo Wahab said: “This year’s theme emphasises the need to proffer lasting solutions to one of the major causes of environmental degradation in the state. Considering the hugeness of the negative impact constituted by plastic pollution, it then becomes imperative to ensure that the issue is addressed without any further delay. To achieve best results, ‘all hands must be on deck’ approach should be adopted. conscious efforts should be made by everyone to tackle this menace. Plastic pollution reduces the life span of human beings, plants and animals within the ecosystem. It also results into flooding, thereby causing great havoc to life (both aquatic and terrestrial) and properties, which eventually leads to displacement of people from their original settlements. It also narrows the food basket of the State and invariably opens door to starvation and famine. If this unpleasant scenario is not tackled, it might ultimately lead to total loss of biodiversity in the Ecosystem. It is therefore paramount to take necessary actions to salvage the situation”.
NCF Chairman, Senator Ede Dafinone said that “some of the very simple solutions we can proffer among others are, encourage sustainable consumer choices, embrace eco-friendly packaging, support clean-up initiatives, promote plastic-free alternatives, advocate for plastic-free oceans, and promote re-usable items more”.
In his keynote address, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said that “the state government in her efforts to ensure proper containerization and separation of waste at the point of generation is presently engaging major producers in the beverage and other sectors on the need to take responsibility for the end of life of these plastics through the extended producer responsibility to ensure cleaner and liveable Lagos. The indiscriminate dumping of plastics and its presence in drainages, canals, waterways, dumpsites and its inability to biodegrade suggests that quick and alternative solutions be found to the menace of plastics in the environment to ensure the sustainability of our mother earth. These plastics pose a threat to humanity by altering natural ecosystems resulting in loss of habitat, biodiversity, and the climate”.
The event started around 7 am with a three-kilometre walk across some selected street under Lagos Island East Local Council Development Area.
Security agents, Lagos Waste Management Authority, Lagos State Ambulance Service, and other government agents provided support services for the event’s huge success.
Other sponsors included Chevron Nigeria Limited, Fidelity Bank Plc, AG Leventis, Aluko & Oyebode Partners, Nigeria Bottling Company, Access Corporation, Nestle Pure Life, Olufab Law Office among others.
