By Chuks Oyema-Aziken
The Founder of Chanja Datti Limited and convener of the African Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Film Festival, Ms. Olufunto Boroffice, has called for increased public awareness and collective action to tackle climate change, plastic pollution and marine waste in Nigeria.
Boroffice made the call at the second edition of the African SDG Film Festival (ASFF 2026), a two-day event organised by Chanja Datti Limited in Abuja to promote the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through films, documentaries and creative storytelling.
Boroffice said the festival was designed to use visual storytelling to promote sustainable development, celebrate African culture, encourage networking and inspire young people to become champions of the SDGs.
She disclosed that film entries increased by almost 20 per cent, while youth registrations nearly doubled compared with the previous edition, which attracted over 700 physical attendees and reached more than 47,000 people digitally.
She described films as powerful advocacy tools for exposing environmental challenges, drawing government attention to affected communities and inspiring practical solutions. She also urged Nigerians to embrace proper waste disposal and plastic recycling to prevent marine pollution.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Climate Technology and Operations, Olamide Fagbuji, also emphasised the need for continuous public awareness of climate change, its adverse effects and available solutions.
Fagbuji urged Nigerians to understand the dangers of environmental degradation, flooding, rising temperatures and drought, while calling for stronger collaboration among government institutions, development partners, businesses and communities to translate advocacy into action.
Mrs. Zainab Kabiru Yusuf, Assistant Chief Scientific Officer, Pollution Control and Environmental Health Department, Federal Ministry of Environment stressed the need for collaboration in tackling marine pollution and commended Chanja Datti for her leading role.
Similarly, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Climate Innovation Centre (NCIC), Bankole Oloruntoba, highlighted efforts under the PROTEGO Project, through which the centre is partnering with WASTE Africa, Adelphi and the German government to prevent marine waste from entering the ocean.
He said the initiative, involving the Federal Government and the Lagos and Cross River State Governments, promotes sustainable waste management and seeks to reduce marine pollution.
Oloruntoba described community participation in Ajegunle as encouraging, noting that residents were increasingly understanding the connection between improper waste disposal and ocean pollution.
He said traditional leaders and young people had embraced the project, while pilot interventions were being tested, with measurable waste-reduction results expected within a year.
Oloruntoba also commended Chanja Datti Limited for converting waste into useful products, describing such initiatives as important to strengthening Nigeria’s circular economy.
The Sustainability Manager of Nestlé Nigeria, Chinwe Obi, described the festival as an effective platform for promoting environmental stewardship, noting that films make environmental challenges easier for the public to understand through visual experiences.
Obi reaffirmed Nestlé Nigeria’s support for the initiative, stressing that creative storytelling could reach wider audiences and encourage responsible waste management and protection of water bodies.
The organisers said the 2026 festival, themed “Amplifying Voices for a Sustainable Future,” seeks to expand its impact across Africa and mobilise governments, businesses and individuals towards achieving the SDGs through recycling, proper waste disposal and sustained action against marine pollution.
PROTEGO is the headline sponsor of ASFF 2026, while WASTE Africa and the Nigeria Climate Innovation Centre are implementing partners for the PROTEGO Project. Nestlé Nigeria is a strategic partner for the 2026 festival, which is powered by Chanja Datti Limited.
The organisers expressed optimism that the festival would strengthen environmental advocacy, encourage innovation and deepen partnerships towards building a cleaner, more sustainable Africa.
The event was attended by representatives of the Federal Ministry of Environment and the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), alongside climate experts, environmental organisations, development partners, corporate institutions, filmmakers and young people.
The Director-General of NESREA was represented by Engr. Chukwudi Nwabuisiaku, Deputy Director, Inspection and Enforcement Department. The Project Director of Adelphi, Germany, Mr. Paolo Facco, was also among the key participants
