The Minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Usman Jibril has, stated the desire of the Federal Government to eradicate polythene bags. They will be replaced with recyclable paper bags and in the process create wealth from waste.
Speaking in Abuja recently during the 10th Global Environment Facility (GEF) National Steering Committee Meeting, the minister, represented by the Director, Human Resources, Mr Gabriel Lotto, said it is the dream of the government to faithfully upscale issues of the environment, such as climate change, biodiversity, desertification, and forest and land management.
He said, “We have taken as a matter of seriousness issues of environmental sanitation, while it is our dream to eradicate use of polythene bags for retention of drinking water to recyclable paper bags that can further be transformed to generate wealth from its wastes, soonest.”
“It is high time to get it right once and for all to avoid future environmental disasters that are grievous than those that they have experienced as well as ensure that we put a stop to environmental disasters that have bedevilled our rural and urban communities,” he said.
He stressed the need for the nation to persue its National Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) so as to translate them to the attainment of the Green Economy and Sustainable Development.
In his remark, the Permanent Secretary, Dr Shehu Ahmed said the objectives of the meeting are to evaluate progress made by implementing agencies, partners and stakeholders in ensuring that GEF-6 projects in the country are developed and implemented in line with national priority and to ensure proper articulation of projects towards GEF-7 Cycle.
He said almost all the projects under the new cycle have been endorsed and that it is expected that the project documents (PIF) should have been transferred to the GEF secretariat to facilitate commencement of implementation.
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