Together, we can promote environmental sustainability, responsible plastic use, cleaner communities, and youth-driven solutions to plastic pollution in the Federal Capital Territory and beyond, according to Dr. Mrs. Ibukun Odusote, former Permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Environment and Chief Executive Officer of Digital Peers International, DPI.
Odusote emphasised the importance of fostering innovation in plastic waste management, promoting behavioural change, helping businesses, and providing young people with sustainable opportunities in the plastic value chain.
The work of the informal trash collectors and recyclers in Abuja and the surrounding northern states, known as Baban bola or babanbolas, was also highlighted by her.
While many in Nigeria have demanded that these people be removed from city centers because to the illegal activities in which they are supposedly involved, Dr. Odusote highlighted their assistance in collecting and recycling plastic trash.
The group is very divisive, with authorities and citizens often associating them with organised crime, damaging important public property, and burglaries in residential estates, according to DAILY POST. Despite the fact that many of these individuals are honest workers motivated by poverty, the story remains controversial.
Scavenging in the city center is now illegal and restricted to approved dump locations, thanks to public uproar and security threats. This decision was made by the FCT Administration and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
During the FCT clean-up exercise, which is part of the DPI-SG project called “Deploying the Power of IT-Engaged Youths in Effective Plastic Use and Plastic Waste Management 2.0” and is funded by the UNDP, GEF, and SGP, the environmental chief emphasised that everyone has a responsibility to take care of the environment.
She emphasised that in order to create cleaner neighbourhoods, everyone involved must work together, commit fully, and be consistent.
“You have no idea how much effort you’re putting into protecting the environment, baban bola. Your efforts to recycle plastic trash are much appreciated.
Speaking at the cleaning exercise, Eyo Maureen from the AEPB office represented Engr. Sherifat Lawal, the Divisional Head (Waste Disposal Facility & Resource Recovery), and she emphasised the importance of taking care of the environment and the people.
“We all live in the same house,” she declared. How we handle it now will dictate the legacy we leave for generations to come. Environmental pollution, insufficient sanitation, and careless trash disposal still endanger people’s health, exacerbate flooding, and harm our ecology.
It is a shared obligation for everyone to keep public spaces clean, not just government entities. Maintaining a clean and safe environment is everyone’s responsibility. This includes households, businesses, schools, and markets.
“When we dispose off waste properly, recycle reusable materials, and maintain clean surroundings, we help to prevent diseases, protect our drainage systems, and improve the beauty of our communities.”