Waste poses risk to human health, ecosystem – Group

A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Eco-Green Africa, has said the huge amount of waste generated in the country poses serious risk to human health and the environment.

The NGO, which was formed by staff of the Federal Ministry of Environment, with members cutting across MDAs, made this assertion on the occasion of the 2022 Global Recycling Day celebrated last Friday.

Founder of Eco-Green Africa, Mrs Dorathy Ukemezia, while celebrating the day with the pupils and staff of Glisten International Academy, Abuja, said with the rise in population, Nigeria was experiencing significant increase in waste generation, hence the need for recycling.

Mrs Ukemeziab said, “The increased volume and complexity of waste associated with the modern economy is posing a serious risk to the ecosystem and human health. Every year, an estimated 42 million tonnes of solid waste is generated in Nigeria, with less than 12 per cent being recycled, 65 per cent of this recyclable waste end up in water bodies and at dumpsites, contributing to about 20 per cent of Green House Gases (GHG) such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), sulphur and nitrogen gases.”

Mrs Ukemezia, however, said the organisation was committed to support improvement of waste management in Nigeria and Africa at large by sharing knowledge, creating awareness/sensitisation and offering free training services and donation to foster behavioural change and restore the environmental values lacking in the Nigerian society.

She further said Eco-Green Africa would implement the Sustainable School Recycling Programme in Glisten International Academy by donating locally made colour-coded waste bins to help the school with waste segregation.

She added that the organisation would continue mobilisation, sensitisation and training of the school’s cleaners/students on waste segregation using the colour-coded bins, as well as supervise and ensure free evacuation of recyclable waste to the recycling station.

The founder also gave the school a recycle pledge as a way of making the students recycling ambassadors.

She said, “Our approach is community based and the schools being part of the community will be the best avenues to reach out to young people in order to engender behavioural change.

“Young people constitute a large proportion in our population and the environmental education and activities will avail an opportunity to intervene at a key developmental stage of their life. In addition, the school is a suitable platform to enable us monitor the impact of the programme which is expected to transcend to family and the community at large.”

Also speaking, chief education management professional, Mr Charles Eneh, said Nigeria had reached a stage where waste should be seen as opportunity and wealth.

Mr Eneh said, “The last decade has been the hottest on record, and we are now facing a climate emergency of unparalleled proportions. If we don’t make significant and rapid changes, we will see continued rising global temperatures, the melting of ice caps, continents on fire and rapid deforestation.”