Stakeholders in the environment sector on Tuesday mobilised youths, park users and communities for a major clean-up exercise at Gwagwalada Park, Area 1, Abuja. The exercise aimed to strengthen plastic waste management and improve environmental sanitation in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) through community participation and awareness.
The exercise, jointly organised by the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), Digital Peers International (DPI) and the Ministry of Environment, aimed at promoting environmental awareness, encouraging behavioural change and fostering community participation towards a cleaner and healthier Abuja.
Chief executive officer of DPI and retired permanent secretary, Federal Ministry of Environment, Dr Ibukun Odusote said the initiative was designed to sensitise residents on proper waste disposal and the value of plastics in the circular economy.
According to her, indiscriminate disposal of plastic waste, particularly sachet water packs, contributes significantly to blocked waterways, flooding and environmental degradation across the FCT. “We are here to sensitise park users that cleanliness is wealth and good health begins with a clean environment.
Plastic waste must not be dumped indiscriminately on our roads and waterways,” she said. Odusote explained that the project, supported under the UNDP Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (SGP), was engaging young people across the FCT and neighbouring states in innovative plastic waste management initiatives.
She said youths were being trained to collect, recycle and transform plastic waste into valuable products, including interlocking tiles, jewellery, furniture and clothing materials. “Plastic waste is not useless. We are transforming waste into wealth.
One of the innovations we have seen is a cottage-scale production plant where plastics are melted and converted into interlocking tiles that can last for decades,” she said.
She added that government agencies and stakeholders must invest more in youthled environmental enterprises to scale up solutions that converted plastic waste into economic opportunities, noting that proper waste management remained critical to environmental sustainability.
Also speaking, divisional head of Waste Disposal Facility and Resource Recovery, Sherifat Lawal, represented by Maureen Eyo, said the exercise would create awareness and drive behavioural change among residents. “The environment is our shared home, and everyone has a role to play in keeping it clean.
“Today’s exercise is about building awareness and encouraging proper waste management practices,” she said. She urged residents to desist from indiscriminate dumping of waste and support recycling initiatives to reduce pollution and prevent flooding, especially during the rainy season, while encouraging youths to act as environmental ambassadors.
