The wife of Anambra State Governor, Dr Nonye Soludo has urged Nigerians to embrace walking and cycling to reduce vehicular air pollution and promote healthy life style.
Mrs Soludo made the call during a media chat on National Gender/Socio-cultural issues and to educate the public on her project – Healthy Living with Nonye Soludo Campaign in Awka the state capital.
She emphasised that Nigerians needed to do more in the area of vehicular pollution which was one of the primary causes of air pollution driving climate change in the society.
The Governor’s wife said; “The emissions from our vehicles are polluting the air and environment; and this is hazardous to human health.
“We need to introduce and embrace cycling to reduce carbon emissions and exposure. It is a clean mode of transport and a fitness choice with health benefits.
“Sometime we need to pack our cars and walk more, especially if we are not going long distance.”
Mrs Soludo said that the healthy living campaign was aimed at promoting good nutrition, environmental cleanliness, basic life skills and sound morals in the society.
She said she had started taking the campaign to primary and secondary schools to help children imbibe the culture of healthy living.
“I started championing Healthy Living with Nonye Soludo 10 years ago. I give talks on healthy life styles and good diets with our local foods.
“I want to bring the message home to our people because we need to be healthy to achieve a liveable and prosperous homeland.
“I have started forming Healthy Living Clubs in our schools to inculcate the culture of healthy life styles and catch them young, so that they can grow into responsible adults.
“Our children need to get addicted to eating healthy, doing physical exercises and environment hygiene to stay healthy, rather than get addicted to their phones and social media,” she said.
Mrs Soludo urged Nigerians to cut down on processed foods and embrace backyard farming to harvest and eat natural foods.
She said; “Our local foods are readily available and cheap. They are also energy-giving, healing and medicinal to our body systems, organs and general health.
“We need to say no to processed foods and make conscious efforts to eat well with more grams of fiber and do 30 minutes exercise daily.”
“We are partnering with religious and community leaders to drive this message home within Anambra and beyond,” she said.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
