Dr. Taiwo Hameed, an expert with Nigeria Climate Change Response Programme, has urged Ogun State residents to adopt proper waste management practices to combat the challenges of climate change.
Speaking to journalists at Kuto Market during a sensitization program, Hameed emphasized the importance of effective waste management in addressing the issue.
He highlighted the “waste-to-wealth” project as a viable solution, which not only generates income for Nigerians but also discourages indiscriminate waste disposal and harmful practices like burning, which contribute to climate change and its attendant unfavorable weather conditions.
Hameed warned that the consequences of climate change include flooding, irregular rainfall, excessive heat, drought, and diseases, emphasizing the need for proactive measures to mitigate these effects.
By embracing proper waste management and initiatives like waste-to-wealth, residents can play a crucial role in addressing the challenges of climate change and promoting a more sustainable future.
He said “The purpose of this programme is to carry out awareness campaigns against improper waste management in Ogun State. We are demonstrating this through street cleaning, awareness rally, lots of sensitisation programmes, and distribution of educational materials and others.
“Our targets are low, medium, and high-density areas like Kuto, Isabo, Sapon, Itoku, Omida, Panseke, Lafenwa, Iberekodo, and other areas in Abeokuta.
“The sensitisation is to inform the residents about how to manage their waste in line with the global best practices of five Rs, that is reduction, recycling, recovery, reuse, and repairs.
“In this wise, we won’t have remnant waste giving foul odour in our environment leading to an outbreak of diseases, unpleasant sight and more than anything else, all of these will help curb emissions and toxic gases from improper waste management causing climate change”.
Dr Hameed urged the people to stop seeing waste as useless saying that “in actual fact, waste is a good source of revenue, waste is a resource in disguise, reasons we have trained the people on sorting their waste.
“They can remove their papers, nylons, cans, plastic bottles among others, and resell it and make extra income. It is this kind of attitude we want to use this 10-day sensitisation campaign to achieve all in a bit to cut down on all activities encouraging climate change”.
The Commissioner for Environment, Mr Ola Oresanya, also used the medium to further encourage the people to desist from any act that can constitute a nuisance to the environment.
Oresanya urged them to embrace the waste-to-wealth initiative and report people unwilling to join forces with the government to achieve a sustainable and clean environment for appropriate sanctions.
Speaking earlier, the leader of the market, Apostle Abraham Olabinke, thanked the government for the initiative and further sought help to make the market environment look spick and span.