By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
As the FCT Administration, FCDA marks the 2023 World Environment Day, the FCTA Permanent Secretary, Mr. Olusade Adesola, has expressed concern for urgent collective strategic action towards protecting the planet via reducing plastic production, usage and ensuring proper disposal of used plastics.
Adesola in his keynote address to mark the occasion 2023 , WED, in Abuja also called for a shift towards reduction in production of single-use plastics, promoting sustainable alternatives and improving waste management in general.
The Permanent Secretary 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.
According to him, the campaign encourages everyone to take action in reducing the use of plastics and ensuring proper disposal to ensure a friendly environment, as he advised stakeholders to always “Think globally and act locally’.
He said,” 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.”
“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, he noted.”
Furthermore, Atang disclosed that the Department of Engineering Services is developing a number of Solid Waste Transfer Stations at Mpape, Gudu and Kubwa, adding, “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.
He explained that taking steps towards reducing plastic production, usage and ensuring proper disposal of used plastics collectively make a big impact in protecting our planet and its natural resources and secure the environment for future generation”.
AEPB Director, Osilama Braimah, in his welcome address said that this year’s global theme reflects the urgent need to protect the environment from severe pollution.
Plastics themselves are ignorantly not bad as they serve human purposes, but the issues we are having is how do we disposes of them, he said.
“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.”
Stephen Agugua, who represented the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Country Director for Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia and the ECOWAS, Dr. Vanessa Phala, disclosed that ILO is ready to collaborate and partner with organisations for better management and solutions to stop plastic pollution.
Agugua said, “ILO calls for creation of more awareness on plastic pollution and partnerships to enhance effective solutions in tackling plastic pollution.”
Also, First Secretary, Co’te d’Ivoire Embassy in Nigeria, Agni Fabrice, who represented the country’s Ambassador to Nigeria, called for more people to 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.
There was the symbolic tree planting/exhibition and presentation of prizes to schools.
