Educationists Proposes Waste Management Policy For Environmental Sustainability In Nigeria

A Professor of Biochemical Toxicology and EthnoBiochemistry in the University of Calabar, Calabar, the capital of Cross River State, southern Nigeria, Professor Eyong Ubana Eyong made the recommendation at the delivery of the 135th Inaugural Lecture of the institution.

Professor Eyong, in his lecture titled “Nutrition, Health and Environmental Sustainability: Invoking The Wizardry of The Molecular Logic of Life” explained that a deliberate national policy on waste management would go a long way to curb the spread of toxicants, which causes deadly diseases.

“There should be a policy on waste sorting and waste management in Nigeria including disposal of industrial and medical waste. Our climate is rapidly changing owing to pollution of the environment by man-made activities.

We all need to take responsibility and government must ensure clean and safer technologies are put in place to save our planet by monitoring all industries and projects,” he emphasized.

While giving an overview of the different and numerous researches conducted in the areas of nutrition, health and the environment, Professor Eyong also disclosed that researches were done on the efficacy of medicinal plants to address health challenges such as infertility, obesity, cancer and diabetes.

He recommended, “adequate nutrition is important for maintaining health. We must explore lesser known sources of protein and other nutrients to improve the food available. We must pursue lifestyle changes that promote healthy living.

“Research to scientifically validate the traditional claims and use of our flora and fauna should be encouraged as this would lead to development of neutriceuticals like Brazil, China and Japan that have a catalogued listing of medicinal plants as rich sources for drug development,” the scientist urged.

Speaking further, the Don advised stakeholders and the government “to create farms and plantations for the cultivation and conservation of medicinal plants” as well as urged “agencies responsible for maintenance of environmental standard to improve on monitoring; prosecute companies and organizations that default.”  

He expressed the hope that the recommendations and adoption of other strategies would contribute immensely to curb the spread of toxicants and pollutants, which destroys ecosystems and pose significant risk to human health.

The lecturer added, “a clean, green and sustainable environment promotes business, healthy living, enhances food systems for adequate and quality nutrition. Looking inward, it is possible for us in Nigeria to solve our nutritional and health challenges by utilizing our resources sustainably.” 

The 135th inaugural lecture was attended by more than 1,500 people including members of the academia, traditional leaders, representative of the Wife of the Cross River governor, Mrs. Eyoanwan Otu, the Vice Chancellor of UNICAL, Professor Florence Obi and her management team as well as a cross section of biochemistry students.