Plastic waste tops agenda as Sterling One Foundation marks World Environment Day

With plastic pollution still threatening lives, coastlines, and ecosystems across Nigeria, the Sterling One Foundation is taking concrete steps to tackle the crisis through community-led cleanups, strategic partnerships, and ongoing policy engagement.

Earlier this year, the Foundation led a major cleanup at Elegushi Beach under its Beach Adoption Programme, a national initiative that has formally adopted more than five beaches since 2021, including Alpha, Eleko, Lafiaji, Iwerekun, and Okun Ajah.

Across these sites, the Foundation has cleared over 9,000 kilograms of waste, including more than 4,800 kilograms of recyclables, while collaborating with local leaders to embed awareness and long-term stewardship within coastal communities.

“Our work on the beaches is not symbolic,” said Olapeju Ibekwe, CEO of Sterling One Foundation. “It is a deliberate strategy to improve coastal resilience, protect vulnerable populations, and link sustainability with real opportunity. Every cleanup is a chance to restore dignity to the environment and build trust in the systems meant to protect it.”

On 13 June, Sterling One Foundation will join other stakeholders at WEDex 2025, a World Environment Day convening hosted by GreenHub Africa in partnership with the United Nations.

The Foundation will participate in the “Financing Youth Initiatives for Green Entrepreneurship” session at the UN House in Abuja, focusing on unlocking capital for community-based solutions to plastic waste.

The United Nations, a key partner on WEDex, also returns this year as co-convener of the Africa Social Impact Summit, scheduled for 10 and 11 July in Lagos.

The summit will centre on practical solutions for climate resilience and policy innovation under the theme Scaling Action: Bold Solutions for Climate Resilience and Policy Innovation.

“Plastic pollution is a development issue but also an untapped opportunity,” said Ibekwe. “If we do not treat it as urgent and systemic, it will keep undermining livelihoods, health, and climate goals.

“Yet, if we engage the right partnerships and investment, plastic waste can be turned into a driver of jobs and innovation, especially for young people across the continent. The call now is for both the public and private sectors to act, to see beyond the problem and unlock its potential for good.”

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