Environmentalist tasks Nigerians on effective waste management

Waste on a street in Surulere after a heavy rain.

An environmental expert, Mr Alex Akhigbe, has called on Nigerians to take the environment seriously and not leave everything in the hands of the government alone.

Akhigbe, the founder of Africa Cleanup Initiative (ACI) made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos.

The expert called on Nigerians to act responsibly in order to attain effective waste management in the country.

“We want Nigerians not to drop waste in the gutters, drains or on roadsides.

ALSO READ: Delay in pneumonia diagnosis, treatment can cause child’s death ― Paediatrician

“At the end of the day, if we do not manage our waste well, it will come back and haunt us.

“When the floods come, we will start running helter-skelter. One thing about the environment is that it does not care if you are rich or poor.

“When the flood issues start, it is going to affect all and sundry, and most times, it the product of our own action toward the environment.

“There is the individual part in effective waste management as there is a government part to it too. We should not see it from the government angle alone; we also have a role to play as well,” he told NAN.

Akhigbe urged residents to keep their environment clean and properly sort waste before trashing.

“We must ensure that Lagos is not a dirt-ridden state, and that is where advocacy comes in. As environmental NGOs, we go to the schools, markets, to sensitise on proper waste management.

“We are aware of the Blue Box recycling initiative launched by the state in September; it is basically aimed at having residents sort their waste at home before trashing.

“This is aimed at recycling where you do not give your blue trash bags to the PSP operators but stash it up for recycling.

“We need to inculcate the habit of the doing the right thing whether we are being watched or not,” Akhigbe said.

NAN

Grace Abejide