The Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, LASEPA, has taken its campaign against air pollution, known as Eko Clean Air to Lagos Island.
At a ceremony held at the Elegbata Sports Complex, hundreds of Lagos Island residents benefitted from the “Sanwo Switch 2Gas, SS2G” initiative, an aspect of the campaign aimed at reducing the burning of fossil fuel as they exchanged their wastes for various items including cooking gas cylinders, water bottles, rechargeable flashlights, multiple use bags and food items such as rice and beans.
The wife of the Lagos State Governor, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu who was the special guest of honour at the event appealed to residents to embrace the initiative and to also teach young children how to use cooking gas.
“This initiatives, according to statistics from LASEPA, have positively impacted the environment and contributed towards improving the quality of lives of residents. I urge all Lagosians to support the ”Sanwo Switch To Gas” project and heed the call to join the fight to safeguard the environment of our beautiful state of aquatic splendor. It is a collective duty and a responsibility owed to future generations.
“Let me also call on communities, schools and places of worship to continue to partner with the state government, so we can witness a truly Greater Lagos under the watchful stewardship of Gov. Sanwo-Olu.
Mrs Sanwo-Olu also used the occasion to sensitize the people on the importance of their Permanent Voters Card and the need to vote candidates of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the forthcoming elections.
Earlier the Managing Director of LASEPA, Dr Dolapo Fasawe explained that the Campaign is in line with the mandate of the agency; protecting and safeguarding the environment and the health of Lagosians.
“We are advocating recycling. In LASEPA, we say everybody’s waste is somebody’s raw material. We are advocating that you get reusable plastics. Stay away from single-use plastics and if you must use single use plastics, bring them to us and we will recycle them into chairs, tables, among other things, what Mr Governor has magnanimously done is that he has put a premium on a bag that will normally be bought for forty naira, today, we are buying it for eight hundred naira and that is why we see such a large outcome of people,” she said.
Fasawe said that collecting and recycling plastics would ensure that the dumpsites and drainages are free of plastics.
According to her, plastics block drainages, which leads to infections, diarrhoea, malaria and all sorts because they are non-degradable.
Dr Fasawe said exchange centres have been established in strategic locations in the council area and across Lagos and urged residents not to hesitate in contacting LASEPA or the Lagos State Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, to get the maximum benefits of the trash for cash and other recycling initiatives.
Under the Clean Air Campaign, Lagosians can pay for the State Health Insurance scheme with recyclables, earn points on their Cowry cards which they can use to board BRT buses, boats and the upcoming Lagos Blue line train.
