Lagos Communities sanitised as Organisations Kick Off Environmental Interventions In Selected Schools, LGAs

Ijora Badia in Apapa Igamnu Local Council Development Area of Lagos State, is the latest beneficiary of the ongoing environmental Sanitation, Clearing of blocked drainage and environmental education in selected areas of the state by a group of private sector organisations.

The initiative, with the Nigerian Conservation Foundation, NCF, providing the technical support for its success , is also aimed at empowering pupils in target schools as well as host communities to take sustainable actions in bringing lasting environmental sanity to their domains.

This year’s activity is a follow-up to the project that commenced in 2020, involving five primary schools and three communities in Lagos State.

The activity at Ijora Badia was carried at Ireti Owoseni Street, Badia Ijora, with some pupils and teachers of three primary schools within the vicinity, teamed up with the youths and residents to clean up their environment.

This came two days after Ishaga Close in Mushin Local Government Area, was also cleaned up under the initiative.

According to the Head of Communications, NCF, Mr. Oladapo Soneye in release, the affected organisations with “the technical support of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) organized a community clean-up exercise at Ijora Badia and Ishaga Mushin in Lagos State, themed “Clearing of drainage, community sensitization & recycling awareness campaign”.

“The activities were carried out at Ireti Owoseni Street, Badia Ijora, on Tuesday 25th January 2022. While that of Ishaga Mushin was held at Seriki Street on Thursday 27th January 2022.

“Some pupils and teachers of Badia Primary School, Ireti Owoseni Primary School, Olojowon Demonstration Nur/Pry School teamed up with the youths and residents of the area to clean their environment. In the same vein, some pupils of Ishaga Close Primary School and Islamic Model Primary School joined the community members to carry out the exercise”.

“Human health and well-being are intimately linked to the state of the environment. Living in an unclean environment is like sitting on a time bomb, waiting to explode. Many lives are at the risk of contracting diseases and infections easily if the environment is dirty and waste generated is not properly managed”, Soneye insisted.

Expressing gratitude to their benefactors, Chairman of Badia Central Community ,
Apostle Sunday Fateye also urged his community members to imbibe the culture of cleanliness.

He said “Maintaining a clean environment is everyone’s responsibility. So, all my people should get involved for us to have a better environment.”

Similarly, the Zonal Chairman, Parents-Teachers Forum of 18 schools in that part of Mushin, Alhaji Mohammed Ndana, commends the benefactors in bringing such initiative to their community.

He stated that “this effort is a very good one and we thank the organizers. This exercise will be a way of telling people to take their environment and health seriously.”

Ms. Tonia Uduimoh, the Project Lead for an environmental foundation of one of the organisations revealed that “The ‘Clean Our World’ is aimed at promoting environmental education and sustainable actions against climate change in target schools and communities in Lagos State. The environment is our home. We must not relent our efforts towards sustaining it for the future.”

In her remarks, the Head of Environmental Education, NCF, Mrs. Abidemi Balogun, explained that “The focus of this project is to ensure sustainable waste management practices while improving healthy living.

“We engaged the community members in clean-up exercises and sensitization on proper waste management. Our message is simple, adopt a better method of waste management in your environment, practice clean surroundings always, then teach the young ones the way”, she added.