The Permanent Secretary, Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Mr. Olusade Adesola, has called for urgent collective strategic steps towards reducing plastic production, usage and ensuring proper disposal of used plastics, in order to effectively make impact and protect the planet.
Making this call Monday, in his keynote address on the occasion of 2023 World Environment Day (WED), in Abuja, the Permanent Secretary also called for a shift towards a circular economy, which would involve reduction in production of single-use plastics, promoting sustainable alternatives and improving waste management in general.
Adesola, who was represented by Director, Office of the Permanent Secretary (OPS), Udo Samuel Atang, noted that the theme for this year’s WED, which is ‘Solutions to Plastic Pollution’ under the United Nations global campaign tagged #BeatPlasticPollution, is aimed at significantly reducing and ultimately eliminating plastic pollution, both in terrestrial and aquatic environments.
He added that the campaign encourages each and every one of us to take action in reducing the use of plastics and ensuring proper disposal, as in all issues regarding the environment, and stakeholders are advised always to ‘Think globally and act locally’.
In his words:” Plastic pollution is choking our planet and we must nip it in the bud and it is time to change how we produce, use and dispose plastic waste. The plastic epidemic is more worrisome when we consider that 50% of plastic bottles and bags are single-use products, that is they are used just once and thrown away.
“According to the United Nations, about 400MT of plastic wastes are generated every year and it is estimated that by 2050, there will be more plastic waste in oceans than fish. This alarming projection brings to sharp relief the need to develop sustainable solutions to plastic waste management either by minimization or re-use by developing an economy around plastic waste.
“In the FCT, we have continually encouraged waste segregation at source and we have ongoing pilot projects in Life Camp, Gwarinpa, Wuse 2 and other parts of the FCC. The Abuja Environmental Protection Board Blue Bin programme is designed to ensure proper waste disposal and waste sorting at source. Federal Ministries, NYSC, Hotels, plazas and many establishments are involved in this initiative”.
He continues:”We also have an on-going programme in the Abuja Environmental Protection Board supported by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency, JICA on ‘‘Promoting Sustainable Plastic Value Chains Through Circular Economy Practices’’. This AEPB/UNIDO/JICA programme will address UN concerns.
“The Department of Engineering Services is developing a number of Solid Waste Transfer Stations at Mpape, Gudu and Kubwa. Once these projects are completed, we will begin to implement waste segregation at an industrial scale and reduce ‘turn-around time’ for solid waste trucks and improve city cleaning in general and plastic waste management in particular.
“By taking steps towards reducing plastic production, usage and ensuring proper disposal of used plastics we can collectively make a big impact in protecting our planet and its natural resources and secure the environment for future generation”.
In his welcome remarks, AEPB Director, Osilama Braimah, said this year’s global theme reflects the urgent need to protect the environment from severe pollution.
According to him, “Plastics themselves are ignorantly not bad as they serve human purposes, but the issues we are having is how do we disposes of them.
“If you take a visit to our dumpsites today, you see huge tons of plastics staring back at you. They are not suitable to biodegradation, so they can be there for hundreds of years. That’s the problem we are having in the world”.
Also speaking, Stephen Agugua, who represented the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Country Director, for Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia and the ECOWAS, Dr. Vanessa Phala, declared that ILO is eager to collaborate and partner with organisations for better management and solutions to stop plastic pollution.
He adds: “ILO calls for creation of more awareness on plastic pollution and partnerships to enhance effective solutions in tackling plastic pollution”.
Similarly, First Secretary, Co’te d’Ivoire Embassy in Nigeria, Agni Fabrice, who represented the country’s Ambassador to Nigeria, said more people should be involved in the fight against plastic pollution.
“Governments, companies and civil society must join forces
to find and defend solutions, and the commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of World Environment Day is an opportunity to launch an appeal to all sectors to join in this momentum”, he said.
Highpoint of the WED event was the symbolic tree planting/exhibition and presentation of prizes to schools.
Comment:*
Nickname*
E-mail*
Website
