Nigeria Moves To Stop Indiscriminate Dumping of Waste

The Ministry of Environment in continuation with its environmental sanitation exercise and disease prevention has taken a sanitation drive to Kuchingoro, a suburb in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT to sensitise the community on the need for proper waste management.

The sensitisation campaign was part of the activities to commemorate this year’s National Environmental Sanitation Day with the Theme: ” Promoting Sustainable Waste Management for a Healthy Environment “.

Addresing the community the Director of Pollution Control and Environmental Health Federal Ministry of Environment Mr Usman Bokani said the government would continue to address pressing environmental, waste management and sustainability issues.

He also reiterated the government’s commitment to ending the causes of opening dumping in the country.

“Open dumping means indiscriminate disposal of waste, there is supposed to be a designated area where waste should be dumped, but the attitude we have is mostly when we just get our waste what we do we find available place and dumped them,  you see waste dumped in drainages during the rainy seasons that is why we have issues of flood and we also have epidemic like diseases called cholera, that is why we are here to let them know that open dumping is a NO NO for us.” He explained.

Traditional Ruler Kuchigoro community, Mr Umar Dogo said the community would work to achieve the standard of environmental sanitation in the community.

“I’m grateful for what the Federal Ministry of Environmental has done today in my community is something that I cannot forget, and the community will not forget it. And local government will not forget this. Because to choose one among the days is not easy. So I’m grateful, ” he said.

He also said that he has been working closely with his subjects over the years on the need to keep their environment clean at all times.

“Sanitation is necessary is very important, already we have an existing association. They used to take care of sanitation and that is the primary objective we call them peace Ambassadors,” the Traditional Ruler explained.

WHO’s representative in Nigeria, Mr. Edwin Isotu said the sensitisation campaign was a wake-up message to every member of the community to clean their environment at all times.

He said the WHO would continue to push to make sure that this brings the needed results for Nigerians.

“We are taking this programme to the local community. We supported them last year, and this Kuchigoro is the second community. And then the key thing here is to understand that our health depends largely on nature, and the level of cleanliness of our environment. If our environment is clean, it’s free from waste, free from microorganisms and from debris.  The people will not be contaminated. They will not be exposed to disease and that will help to promote good health,” he stated.

Representative of Breakthrough Action Nigeria a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) Dr. Farouk Olayinka said that Kuchingoro community stands out in the area of environmental sanitation.

“Our support is in the area of social and behavioural change, for any disease to transmit our hands play major roles, so we can all do better by starting with personal hygiene.

“We have a lot of waste management programme, we can convert waste to wealth, we can also support our community better in ensuring that waste is properly managed,” She stated.

Dr Olayinka expressed optimism that there would be more collaboration on community sanitation and overall improved health in the community.

commended the community for partnering with stakeholders on environmental sanitation in the area.

Representative of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) Mr, Bako Kaindu said that Kuchingoro community is usually organised when it comes to the issue of environmental sanitation.

He urged kuchingoro community to have a data base of people living within their community.

He, however, advised stakeholders to take the sensitisation on sanitation to other communities, while also promising to support them to realise a sanitised environment and how to manage their wastes.

Mr Kaindu noted that poor waste management has caused a lot of problems in this country thereby urging them to manage their wastes properly.

Stakeholders in the environmental sector distributed sanitation tools to the community for the cleanup programme.

The tools are; cartons of soaps, rakes, shovels, dustbin bags, nose masks, hand gloves and brooms.