Environment

UNEP Names Winners Of 2020 Young Champions Of The Earth Challenge

Published

5 years ago

December 21, 2020

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) last Tuesday named seven young scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs and activists from across the globe as its 2020 Young Champions of the Earth.
The Young Champions of the Earth prize is awarded every year to seven entrepreneurs under the age of 30, with bold ideas for sustainable environmental change.
The seven prize winners, all 30 years old or younger, were selected by a global jury of experts following a competitive public nomination.
Hailing from different regions around the world, the winners received US$10,000 in seed funding, tailored training, and communication support, to help scale up their ideas.
UNEP Executive Director, Inger Andersen, in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja, said these change-makers showed how innovative ideas, coupled with ambitious action, can help solve some of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges.
“With solutions to harvest water from the air, recycle plastic into paving slabs, and motivate fishing boats to haul tonnes of plastic out of the ocean, these change-makers show how innovative ideas, coupled with ambitious action, can help solve some of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges.
“Globally, young people are leading the way in calling for meaningful and immediate solutions to the triple planetary crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution – we must listen”, she said.
The statement also quoted Andersen as saying that as the world enters a decisive decade to cut emissions, restore and protect ecosystems, “UNEP Young Champions” demonstrate that “all of us can contribute, starting where we are with what we have”.
“Every single act for nature counts, and we need the entire spectrum of humanity to share this global responsibility and this profound opportunity.”
The 2020 Young Champions of the Earth are: Nzambi Matee, a 29 year old Kenyan, who produced a sustainable low-cost construction material made of recycled plastic waste and sand, Lefteris Arapakis (Greece), Max Hidalgo Quinto (Peru), Niria Alicia Garcia (USA) and Fatemah Alzelzela (Kuwait).
Others are; Xiaoyuan Ren (China), who used MyH20 app to collect clean water data, diagnose water problems on a case-by-case basis, with the goal of connecting data-driven water resources and solutions to underprivileged communities in need, to improve their overall health.
Vidyut Mohan, an Indian and co-founder of Takachar, a social enterprise, enabling farmers to prevent open burning of their waste farm residues and earn extra income by converting the residues into value-added chemicals, like activated carbon on-site.
UNEP, a UN agency, is the leading global voice on the environment, providing leadership and encouraging partnerships in caring for the environment, by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve the quality of their lives.
The Young Champions of the Earth prize is UNEP’s leading initiative to engage youth in tackling the world’s most pressing environmental challenges. Since inception in 2017, 28 environmental trailblazers had been recognised from every corner of the globe. (NAN)

Environment

Lagos State Government Refuted Resumed Monthly Sanitation

Published

6 days ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

The Lagos State Government on Saturday refuted an online media report claiming that the state had resumed the monthly environmental sanitation exercise.

The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, said no categorical statement had been made regarding the commencement date of the exercise.

Wahab explained that what he told newsmen after a project inspection tour last Sunday was that engagements with relevant stakeholders were still ongoing.

He said the state government had planned to begin with a sensitisation programme last week, but was constrained by logistics issues.

“The truth is, we were meant to start with a sensitisation programme last week, but we had a logistics issue. We need to find a day that is acceptable to all stakeholders,” he said.

He expressed optimism that the exercise might return very soon, adding that the official date would be communicated by the Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

The commissioner urged law-abiding residents to continue their lawful activities without hindrance, assuring them that adequate notice would be given before the exercise was reintroduced.

The monthly environmental sanitation, previously held on the last Saturday of every month between 7.00 a.m. and 10.00 a.m., was suspended in November 2016 following a legal pronouncement restricting movement during the exercise.

However, renewed waste management challenges, including clogged drainage channels and indiscriminate refuse disposal, have sparked calls from residents for its reinstatement.

Environment

LAWMA Director Says Sweeping Reforms Have Improved Waste Collection

Published

6 days ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

The Managing Director of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, says sweeping reforms and infrastructure upgrades have significantly improved waste collection efficiency across the state.

Gbadegesin disclosed this to newdmen last week in Lagos state.

He said LAWMA expanded night cleaning operations and increased street sweeping coverage to 1,000 routes statewide.

He disclosed that 16,000 street sweepers were currently engaged across Lagos, supported by improved logistics and operational systems.

He said LAWMA acquired new equipment three years ago to complement Private Sector Participants (PSP) compactors and rehabilitated old trucks to strengthen fleet capacity.

He added that additional compactor trucks were expected in the coming months.

“Heavy-duty equipment is now deployed to clear legacy illegal dumpsites across communities,” he said.

Gbadegesin said LAWMA strengthened human capacity by expanding its advocacy department and deepening collaboration with Community Development Associations (CDAs) and local councils.

He revealed that each local government now operates a waste management task force, supported by LAWMA integration desks.

On waste-to-wealth initiatives, he disclosed that the Lagos State House of Assembly had ratified a concession agreement with ZoomLion to construct transfer loading stations and material recovery facilities.

The facilities, he said, would enable closure of the Olusosun and Solous landfills and process 4,000 tonnes of waste daily.

He said organic waste, which constitutes about 50 per cent of Lagos waste, would be converted into compost, while plastics would be recycled into waste bins.

Gbadegesin also disclosed plans for a 1,500-tonnes-per-day waste-to-energy plant in partnership with a Dutch firm, Harvest Waste.

He said the project was expected to generate 60 megawatts of electricity to support emerging industrial zones.

He further highlighted a pilot biogas plant at the Epe Food Market, which processes 500kg of organic waste daily to generate electricity for market operations.

He called for stronger media collaboration to enhance public awareness and behavioral change.

“Waste management is not just about equipment; it is about human behaviour, enforcement and strong regulatory systems,” he said.

He urged residents to utilise LAWMA’s toll-free lines and digital platforms to report service gaps instead of resorting to illegal dumping.

Environment

Ministry Of Environment To Validate A Landmark Policy To Advance Nigeria’s Economy

Published

6 days ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

The Federal Ministry of Environment last Thursday convened key stakeholders in Abuja to validate a landmark policy brief aimed at tackling marine litter to advance Nigeria’s transition to a circular economy.

Mrs Falmata Bukar-Kolo, the Deputy Director, Solid Waste Management and Technology Division in the ministry, warned that plastic pollution poses serious risks to aquatic ecosystems and public health.

She stated that microplastics have already entered the food chain through fish consumption, while clogged waterways, soil contamination, and greenhouse gas emissions from burning plastics are worsening the environmental crisis.

Bukar-Kolo said that plastics, though widely used, are non-biodegradable and persist in the environment for years.

She called for improved waste management systems, stronger enforcement of environmental regulations, and behavioural change amongst citizens and businesses.

Mr Clem Ugorji, Regional Coordinator of PROTEGO, emphasised on the urgency of action, saying Nigeria’s marine litter crisis carries environmental, economic, and reputational costs.

He expressed optimism that the 2025 to 2040 roadmap endorsed at the workshop would shift the country from prolonged dialogue to concrete implementation.

The event was organised in collaboration with PROTEGO (Prevention of Marine Litter in the Gulf of Guinea).

Discussions centred on a draft policy input paper titled “Policies, Institutional Set-up and Financing of Marine Litter Prevention in Nigeria,”.

These seeks to present insightful analysis and a set of recommendations to address the structural and financing gaps that have long hindered effective waste management, particularly plastic leakage from inland communities and waterways into the Atlantic Ocean.

The PROTEGO initiative is supported by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection and led by adelphi, with implementation in Nigeria by WASTE Africa and the Nigeria Climate Innovation Centre (NCIC).

The policy brief is a key delivery for one of the programme’s four impact areas – building capacities of public stakeholders.