The Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) and Mitimeth have commenced the 4th edition of the annual water hyacinth recycling initiative.
General Manager of LASWA, Mr. Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, said in a statement in Lagos on Tuesday that 300 people had benefitted from the training in the last three years.
Emmanuel said that the beneficiaries would be trained on the economic benefits and recycling of the weed.
“Water hyacinth cannot be totally eradicated, but be controlled through harvesting into new materials and valuable products.
“It is important to note that water hyacinth is one of the fastest growing weeds across globe infesting water bodies in over 50 countries, it reproduces every two weeks and thrives in polluted waters.
”Water hyacinth is a renewable resource, but also an environmental menace and threat to biodiversity. In the past, this initiative with support of LASWA have trained over 300 people in the Badagry, Ikorodu and Epe axis, on skills to transform water hyacinth to economically beneficial products,” Emmanuel said.
He said that this year’s training would take place at Badore and other areas that had been identified as being the most affected by the water hyacinth menace.