Environment
Group Tasks Nigerians On Refuse Disposal
An environmental movement, ‘Pick That Trash’ has called on Nigerians to stop dumping refuse indiscriminately to push the drive for an environmentally-healthy society.
The movement’s team leader, Mrs Ugochi Nwanze made the call in an interview with newsmen following the movement’s recent community clean-up exercise in Lagos.
Nwanze lamented the insensitivity of Nigerians over indiscriminate refuse dumping while she called for a joint cooperation between the government and populace to kick out the menace.
“We have to be clean. We realise that there are bigger problems, a mindset that says it is ok to drop things on the floor.
“A mindset that says it does not matter as long as it is not in my house, it is not my problem.
“For us to achieve a clean environment, it is not individuals alone that will be doing their own thing but the government and the people have to collaborate to make a clean environment possible,’’ she said.
Referring to the act as a “syndrome called trash boldness’’ Nwanze encouraged a proactive stand against the act, saying “we need to walk the talk, come down to the street and see that there is a lot to do.
“Nigerians are `trash blind’. To be comfortable with refuse and stench around your environment and do nothing about it is what it means to be trash blind.
“Trash blindness does not occur overnight but a numbing of the mind that there is no point in clearing up refuse because it will always resurface,’’ she said.
A volunteer of the movement, Mr Taiwo Adewole said the aim of the exercise was not just to clean the community but to sensitise the residents on the impact of an unclean environment and the benefits of recycling.
“We are here not just to pick up trash but to sensitise the people on the impact of what they are doing to the environment and at the same time enlighten the people on the benefits of recycling waste.
“They are encouraged to keep their environment clean and get something in return and create raw materials for industrial use,’’ he said.
Another volunteer and a recycling entrepreneur, Mr Allison Ukonu called for provision of infrastructure to aid proper disposal of refuse by Nigerians before enforcing sanctions on indiscriminate littering.
“When you see dirts litter in the street and confront people about it, they will tell you that there are no proper disposing stations or bins where they can dispose these items.
“I think there has to be a think-tank to solve Nigeria’s refuse management problems, let us not wait for a mishap like it has happened recently in another country.
“We need a think-tank and regulatory bodies that work in conjunction with NGOs to be able to sensitise people about litter before sanctioning,’’ Ukonu said.
President, Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Mrs Margaret Oguntala, has inaugurated the construction of 18 units residential terrace in highbrow Alausa area of Lagos toward bridging the nation’s shelter gap.
Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation has launched the 1GOV Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS) to enhance digital governance and improve service delivery.
The launch, held on Thursday in Abuja, marks the ministry’s transition from paper-based operations to a smart, integrated and technology-driven work environment.
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, said the deployment aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
Utsev said the system would improve data management, streamline workflows and strengthen transparency and accountability across the ministry.
According to him, the ECMS will enhance productivity, preserve institutional memory and reduce operational costs in the ministry.
Launching the platform, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, said the initiative is a major step in public sector reform.
She said the ministry’s mandate affects Nigerians through water supply, sanitation, irrigation, river basin development and climate resilience programmes.
Walson-Jack said the 1GOV ECMS enables secure digital records management, automated workflows, electronic approvals and real-time collaboration across MDAs.
She added that the deployment aligns with the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025 and the directive for full digitalisation by December 2025.
“Effective governance cannot afford delays caused by manual bottlenecks or avoidable inefficiencies,” she said.
She directed that all official correspondence in the ministry must henceforth be processed through approved digital registry channels.
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Dr Emanso Umobong, said the system would eliminate workflow inefficiencies and improve service delivery.
She urged staff to fully adopt the platform and engage in continuous capacity building.
Research shows that local communities and citizens living at the grassroots, particularly women, are directly impacted by the environmental degradation, flooding and others that result from these manifestations.
In the light of this, non-governmental organisation, Ese Usamali Foundation For Rural Development (EUFORDe), has held a forum for women and other members of oil impacted communities, tagged: ‘Voices from the Grassroots,’ and aimed at building their resilience and mitigation efforts against climate change and environmental degradation
The forum, with the theme: ‘Building Resilience for Oil Spill Impacted Ahoada Communities,’ organised with support from Global Green Grants, was held in Ahoada Community, Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State, on December 5, 2025.
Executive Director of Ese Usamali Foundation For Rural Development, Mercy Elemchukwu-James, said women are at the forefront of efforts to mitigate the impact of climate change and environmental degradation.
The event, therefore, was “designed for community women impacted by oil spills, flooding and other environmental degradation,” she said.
Community women were enlightened by resource persons on new opportunities for sustainable agricultural practices and water management techniques that cushion the impact of oil spills.
Lectures were also delivered on Self-care and Trauma-care, with focus on physical and mental health of the population, and increasing access to health-related resources and services; as well as on Food security and women’s critical role in decision making in oil spill and flood situations in communities
Elemchukwu-James pointed out that the event created a forum for stakeholders, civil society actors and others to dialogue on measures at advancing inclusive and sustainable livelihoods of community women.
She stressed the need for collaborative efforts towards achieving mitigation efforts, while underscoring EUFORDe’s commitment to “fostering partnerships as a critical driver for achieving a healthy community and sustainable development.”
Elemchukwu-James described participants’ design of ‘Community Resilience Plan,’ to manage and combat environmental degradation and crises, as part of achievements recorded at the event.
The forum also witnessed the launching of EUFORDs’ Center For Resilience and Rights.
“This center is established to build resilience as Trauma-Care for victims of environmental degradation, support for survivors of Gender Based Violence (GBV) and a platform where victims of environmental injustice and other GBV cases can seek redress,” Elemchukwu-James said.
Participants celebrated the milestones achieved and charted a path toward greater impact in the coming years. They also described the event as “an inspiring and transformative experience.”
Elemchukwu-James said the awareness creation workshop “reaffirms EUFORDe’s mission to create an equitable society in which the rights and capacities of women, youth, children and underprivileged are integrated in the socio-economic planning and development of communities, for the attainment of equity and peace.
