By Abdulrahman Abdullahi
The National President of Nigeria Environmental Society (NES), Dr. Dorothy Bassey, has warned Nigerians to do away with culture that seems to worsen climate change.
Bassey said this on Thursday, March 18, 2021 on the side line of the event to mark the 2021 Global Recycling Day in Lagos State.
The experts noted that improper waste disposal, deforestation and gas emission cause extreme climate change that exposed life to the vagaries of nature.
She said that unemployed youths could be employed in waste recycling to halt bad weather conditions.
According to Bassey, Nigerians should join in the efforts to mitigate climate change and its catastrophic effects as witnessed now.
“It is time to act. We have reached crisis stage with regards to climate challenges.
“We must take conscious, deliberate steps to reverse this menace as over one trillion single use plastics get into the environment as they are discarded immediately after use,” she said.
Bassey called for sensitisation of the people on the benefits of plastic waste reduction through recycling.
The environmentalist, who expressed discomfort at the nonchalance of some people towards waste recycling and management, said Nigerians must voluntarily take action across board to change the narrative.
She commended the Federal Executive Council for approving a new legislation on plastic waste.
Bassey called for practical steps at the grassroots to massively embrace recycling as a way of life.
Founder of Urban Tree Revival Team, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Ms Omobola Eko, said that indigenous trees planting culture should be imbibed.
Eko, who spoke on afforestation as a way of replenishing nature and recycling variant, said afforestation would bring back the elusive good environment devoid of weather uncertainty.
Mr Solomon Adefolu from Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) said that waste recycling, especially plastic and nylon materials, would take away 50 per cent of environment pollution and reduce flooding.
Adefolu, who is the Lead Climate Change Programme Officer at NCF, called on the youth to embrace efforts aimed at checking climate change for sustainability of the human habitat.
The Global Recycling Day, held every March 18, is to reawaken public consciousness on the potentials of waste recycling to check the scourge of environmental degradation.