Some environmental experts have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to pay more attention to the Ogoni oil spill clean-up in his second term.
The expert who said this in an interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt also stressed the need for the President to promote initiative that would mitigate the effect of climate change.
The Executive Director of a recyclable waste company, Chanji Datti also lauded the President for the signing of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
“I believe the signing and ratification of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change by the President was a great step in the right direction.
“My expectations for President Buhari’s second term in office is the promotion of initiatives and organizations that matter in the success of the signed treaty.
“A better focus on recycling and renewable energy, but also on circular economy, as this not only helps to achieve the Paris Agreement, but creates thousands of green jobs,” Boroffice said.
Also, Mr Taiwo Otitolaye, the Executive Director, Community Outreach for Development and Welfare Advocacy (CODWA), an NGO, said over 75 per cent of diseases and deaths are caused by environmental factors in Nigeria.
According to him, these include, infant and child mortality, maternal mortality and other diseases.
“Access to clean and drinkable water is still a mirage while in other African countries, like South Africa, , water is a human rights issue, even as some state governments are planning to privatise water,” Otitolaye said.
According to him, the Ogoni clean-up has also not made much progress, as the expectations of the people are not met yet, hence the recent inter-communal clashes.
Otitolaye, therefore, called for what he called Environmental Health Literacy (EHL) to promote environmental awareness.