World Environment Day: Group advocates cleaner environment, waste management

The Ladies Environment Club (LEC) on Tuesday called for responsible waste management that would engender a cleaner and healthier environment.

Lauretta Asemota, president of the club, made the call at the cleaning of Oniru Private Beach, Victoria Island in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the exercise was undertaken to commemorate the World Environment Day (WED) held globally on June 5.

LEC is made up of women who care and advocate for a clean, green, healthy and beautiful environment.

Asemota also called for robust partnership between the private sector and the government in waste management.

“A cleaner and healthy environment is the focus of the Ladies Environmental Club to curb the impact of climate change,” Asemota said.

The president said that the ocean is the world’s blue economy that should be properly harnessed for a viable green economy for Nigeria and the world.

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She added that the club was working on modalities for a door-to-door campaign to educate Nigerians on waste management.

Asemota commended the Iru/Victoria Island Local Government for providing rakes, gloves and bin bags for the cleaning of the beach and disposal of the waste generated.

The Chairman, Iru/Victoria Island Local Government Area, Mrs Rasheedat Abiodun Adu, in a goodwill message, said that a healthy environment automatically leads to a healthy life.

Adu, represented by Ronke Alagbe, stressed the need for a healthy environment.

“What we give to the environment is what the environment will give back to us,” she said.

Adu noted that the Lagos State Government was doing a lot to ensure that a cleaner and healthier environment was maintained in the state.

Delivering the keynote address, Regina Folorunsho, of the Nigerian Institute of Oceanography and Marine Research, said that the dirt and plastics thrown around on the streets find their way back to the ocean.

Folorunsho, who is a Director in the Marine Meteorology and Climate Change Department of the institute, urged Nigerians to take responsibility for their wastes.

He also urged companies that produce plastics and other materials that constitute wastes to ensure proper waste disposal in order not to litter the environment.

NAN reports that the event saw the gathering of representatives from the Iru Victoria Island Local Government, community leaders, market women and en, street sweepers and members of the LEC.