Ijora-Badia clean-up:  Foundations boost capacity of residents, teachers on sustainability

Ijora-Badia is one of under-serviced but high density areas in Lagos.

However, waste management in the neighborhood is zero as plastic pets, cellophane papers and nylon bags litter the entire environment

The unhealthy living conditions of the people must have triggered the choice of the community for the Clean Our World project, an initiative of Oando Foundation, funded by Sumitomo Chemicals, Japan, with the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) as the implementing partner.

It is a popular saying that the sustainable development of any nation depends largely on its human capacity building.

It’s on this note that the promoters of CleanOurWorld project commenced  the capacity building’s training for residents of Ijora- badia, starting with the school teachers on waste management, recycling and environmental sustainability.

Speaking about the programme when interviewed, Lead Environmental Education, NCF Mrs Abidemi Balogun, said the purpose of the training was to empower teachers in select public primary schools within Lagos Metropolis, with the knowledge of plastic recycling and waste management, whilst encouraging the adoption of eco-conscious lifestyles to enhance economic sustainability.

”In continuation of the activities for the second phase of the  CleanOurWorld project, yesterday, we commenced capacity building on recycling and environmental sustainability, she said.

According to her, there are different components under the project- community clean-up and training capacity building for the teachers.

The whole essence of the capacity building, she said was to equip residents with the right knowledge and skill to properly manage their waste.

“Not many individuals key into waste management, they leave it to the government.  We are saying that it is everybody responsibility, you have to know how to manage your waste properly.

“In the first phase, we trained them how to use their plastic bottles to make  seat that they use in homes. But now we are training them on how to use their nylon to make bags and others. We are saying that you can still use them to make something creative so that they don’t go into the environment,” she said.

She explained that the project is taking place in five communities and 12 schools.

One of participants, Ms Afolabi Jumoke, a tutor at Olojomo Demonstration Nursery and Primary School, said the capacity building programme came handy, adding that she gained a lot on how to use nylon to make table mats, table cloths and bags

Head Teacher, Badia Nursery and Primary School, Mrs Ogunbi Funmlayo, said this was the second training she would be attending.

She said “The first phase of the training was done on January 15 and everyone was involved. We enjoyed the training.  It is about nylon recycling and how to make other useable things.

“It reduces the nylon in the environment because people now picked it since they know it is useful. “We trained our pupils to always pick pet bottles, nylons in our waste in order to keep the environment clean. It has reduced the littering of nylon.”

On choice of Badia, Executive Director, Plastic Evolution Initiatives, Austin Adeboga, pointed out that everywhere he visited in the community, nylon bags littered the environment.

According to him, the only way to get them out of circulation was to turn nylons into useful items.

“In Badia, everywhere you go you find nylon bags littering everywhere – roads, sewage.  The only way to get it out of circulation is to turn them into useful items. We have a lot of these nylon bags in circulation here. We are thereby again empowering them on how to make money for themselves. They can sell the recycled from the used nylon bags.

“If a cow eats any of these nylon bags, the cow will die. If you burn them, the smoke that comes out of it is toxic to your health. It does not decompose. In the next 50, 100 years they are there, they don’t decompose,” he said.

He explained that his organisation intervened in order to equip residents on how to recycle, reuse and reduce their plastic, adding that teachers undergoing capacity building’s training are expected to “learn from here to teach others such as students, parents, and the community as a whole to clean-up the environment.”

“We have 30 of them here, we are expecting more. We do follow-up on them to ensure continuity of the program. We have whatsapp group where they showcase their products such as window blinds and table mats; they can sell them and make money from them,” he said.

Adeboga urged the need for Nigerians to develop attitudinal change toward the environment for the younger generation.

Founder, Plastic Evolution  Initiative, Mrs Mary Otorukiri-Hart,  said she picked interest in training people on how to turn their waste to wealth when she realised that much debris are being generated littered the environment.

“When I came here I realised how much waste that was in the environment, and I started complaining that I don’t understand why I came here.

”So I decided on what I want to do, it is almost six years now. And I started thinking about my legacy, the thing I want to do is trying to help Nigerians to get as much waste out of the environment. So what we do is that we go round and teach people.”

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