The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) has sensitised students and market leaders on the dangers of plastic pollution in commemoration of the 2025 World Environment Day, with the theme, ‘Beat Plastic Pollution.’
The sensitisation and awareness campaign took place at the Ogunpa Market, Ibadan, and Basorun Ogunmola High School, Ring Road, Ibadan, on Thursday, June 5, where IBEDC also donated waste bins as part of efforts to curb plastic pollution.
The Chief Commercial Officer of IBEDC, Dr Ademola Adewumi, stated that the campaign was part of the company’s corporate social responsibility and highlighted the dangers of plastic pollution to human health, the environment, animals, and aquatic life.
He emphasised the importance of educating young people about plastic pollution and encouraging them to care for the environment.
Adewumi said, “We are here to mark World Environment Day to educate the students and create awareness about the environment for people to be aware that plastic pollution is detrimental to the environment. This is our own way of giving back to society.
“We have to start early because plastic has been a menace in society. There are a lot of health issues attached to plastics how we dispose of them, and how they aid the spread of diseases like malaria. Beyond that, it also affects other animals because they don’t know the difference between what is food and what is plastic.”
Engineer Abiodun Dirisu, the Head, Safety and Environment, IBEDC, emphasised the need for everybody to contribute to curbing plastic pollution by refraining from disposing of plastic bags or bottles in rivers, waterways, gutters, and other inappropriate places.
Dirisu said, “Pollution has become a global concern, and at the center of it all is plastic pollution; waterways are being blocked and the environment is littered.
“The need to take plastic waste out of the environment cannot be overemphasised. Therefore, IBEDC has chosen to join the rest of the world to commemorate World Environment Day.
“At the Ogunpa Market, we were there to continue the sensitisation, which is the need for everybody to take responsibility to help attend to issues of pollution, especially as regards plastics. The sensitisation is that we can’t trash waste anyhow. Plastics can be recycled and converted for other purposes; they should not be seen as waste. If at the start we don’t see them as a waste, the need arises for us to be responsible for sorting them and taking them to where they will be recycled.”
The Principal of Ogunmola High School, Ring Road, Ibadan, Mrs Omobola Adeniran, expressed gratitude to the IBEDC for the donation and promised to make appropriate use of the waste bins to keep the school environment clean.
She said, “We really appreciate IBEDC for choosing our school as one of the schools that benefited from the donation to mark World Environment Day.
“We promise that we will use the waste bins for the purpose of cleaning the environment in order to avoid pollution.”
Some of the Ogunpa Market leaders, including the Chairman of Ajekale Youth Progressive Forum, Raheem Kazeem; Balogun Oja, Ogunpa Oyo, Musbaudeen Adesola; and Iyalaje Oja Ogunpa Oyo, Alhaja Dasola Azeez, stated their resolve and commitment to ensure a clean market environment.
The IBEDC also used the opportunity to create awareness about the IBEDC Pay, a self-use app designed to help customers pay electricity bills, make enquiries, lay complaints, track transactions and electricity consumption rate, and get other information from the comfort of their homes.
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