The Nigeria Climate Change Response Programme (NCCRP) has urged residents of Ogun State to embrace the waste-to-wealth project as part of efforts to confront the challenges of climate change.
Speaking on Tuesday, an expert with the agency, Dr. Taiwo Hammed, at a sensitization program held at the popular Kuto market in Abeokuta South Local Government Area of the state, noted that many opportunities are available in turning waste into a means of making a livelihood.
Hammed, while speaking with journalists, said the agency was on a 10-day sensitization program in low, medium, and high-density areas of Abeokuta on the proper management of waste.
He insisted that the waste-to-wealth initiative discourages indiscriminate waste disposal and other harmful ways of handling waste, such as burning, all of which contribute to the problem of climate change and the attendant unfavorable weather conditions.
The expert listed flooding, irregular rainfall, excessive heat, drought, and diseases, among others, as attendant consequences of climate change.
“The purpose of this program is to carry out awareness campaigns against the improper management of waste in Ogun State. We are demonstrating this by street cleaning, awareness rallies, lots of sensitization programs, and the distribution of educative materials, among others.
“Our targets are low, medium, and high-density areas like Kuto, Isabo, Sapon, Itoku, Omida, Panseke, Lafenwa, Iberekodo, among other areas in Abeokuta.
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“The sensitization is about getting the residents informed about how to manage their waste in line with the global best practices of five Rs: reduction, recycling, recovery, reuse, and repairs.
“In this way, we won’t have remnant waste giving a foul odor in our environment, leading to an outbreak of diseases, an unpleasant sight, and, more than anything else, all of these will help curb emissions and toxic gases from improper waste management causing climate change.”
Dr. Hameed urged the people to stop seeing waste as being useless, saying that “in actual fact, waste is a good source of revenue; waste is a resource in disguise, reasons we have trained the people on sorting their waste.
“They can remove their papers, nylons, cans, plastic bottles, among others, and resell them and make extra income. It is this kind of attitude we want to use this 10-day sensitization campaign to achieve all in a bit to cut down on all activities encouraging climate change.”
Also speaking at the event, the State Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Ola Oresanya, said the government would continue to collaborate with agencies promoting a healthy environment, urging people to desist from any act that can constitute a nuisance to the environment.
He charged market men and women to manage their waste to generate wealth while advising market leaders to constitute a sanitation committee to ensure a dirt-free market.
The event had in attendance the Babaloja and Iyaloja of Kuto market, Apostle Abraham Olabinke, and Alhaja Isiwat Adewuyi.
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