By Chuks Oyema-Aziken
Stakeholders have called for more community inclusiveness in reducing the menace of marine plastic pollution.
The call was made at a Stakeholders’ Engagement with theme “Reducing arine Plastic Pollution through recycling” in Abuja.
The programme was organized by Initiative for the Advancement of Waste Management in Africa (W.A.S.T.E Africa) and sponsored by the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF SGP), United Nations Development Programme.
In her welcome remarks, Programme Director, WASTE Africa, Ms. Juliet Odhikori said the programme aim at empowering women and others who are engaged in the recycling process.
She said the idea is to reduce marine pollution entering into rivers around the Lugbe areas.
Ms Odhikori said the initiative has been to Lugbe and Gwagwalada areas and established 9 clusters.
In her address, Mrs Ibironke OLUBAMISE
National Coordinator, Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme implemented by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP GEF SGP) said plastic waste is a menace globally.
She noted that plastic pollution in the country also leaks into international waters, hence the involvement of the UNDP in building capacity of stakeholders.
She lauded WASTE Africa for impacting on local community women which is one of the objectives of GEF SGP.
Speaking also, Director, Environmental Services, Satellite Town Development Department, Federal Capital Development Authority, Mr Olusegun Olusa called for greater community inclusiveness in plastic pollution management.
He called for stricter enforcement of laws to deter defaulters.
Commending WASTE Africa, the Hakimi of Karonmajigi, Yunusa Abdullahi Bako said the project has helped to make his community cleaner, while empowering the local women.
The purpose of the engagement is to review the project’s progress and deliberate on measures to improve its sustainability and effective waste management and collection in the areas.
The project seeks to reduce plastic pollution in water bodies around Abuja, which is undergoing a fast pace of urbanization and is struggling to adequately meet its waste management needs. The target water bodies are the Wupa and Usuma Rivers in Lugbe and Gwagwalada areas.
The project is set to empower 500 women recyclers, over 100 local waste pickers, and 15 waste aggregators. The monthly collection target is 52 tonnes of plastics, for a total of 468 tonnes in nine (9) months.
According to National Geographic, 8 million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean each year and is estimated to triple to 23–27 million tonnes by 2040. With 2.5 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, Nigeria is the 9th largest contributor of marine litter in the world and among the top African countries contributing to marine debris and mismanaged plastic flowing into the Gulf of Guinea.
