By Abbas Nazil
Taraba State University (TSU) was agog on Saturday, September 20, 2025, as it hosted a grand celebration of World Cleanup Day, drawing together civil society groups, students, government representatives, and volunteers for a united call to environmental action.
The event, jointly organized by the Executive Director of the Initiative for Climate Change and Renewable Energy Advocacy (ICCREA) and Let’s Do It Nigeria, Mr. Folorunsho Dayo Oluwafemi, alongside the Focal Point on Climate Resilience and Environmental Engagement, Mr. Anas Hamza, attracted strong institutional backing.
Supporters included the Coalition of Civil Society Organizations Taraba State, Nature News, Shinmo 92.9 FM, A4\&T Power Solutions, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), and the Nigerian Red Cross Society, Taraba State branch.
High-profile guests in attendance were representatives of the 6 Brigade Command, Jalingo, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of TSU, the Branch Secretary of the Red Cross (represented), and the Chairman of the Coalition of Civil Society Organizations.
The day’s activities began with sensitization speeches highlighting the importance of climate action, environmental cleanliness, and the dangers of textile and fashion waste, the theme of this year’s global event.
Over 100 participants, including corps members, Red Cross volunteers, secondary school students, TSU students, skaters, and local community members, engaged in a cleanup exercise that removed 79 kilograms of waste from the university market square.
A symbolic tree-planting gesture further reinforced the sustainability agenda, with 100 trees donated each to the 6 Brigade Command, the NYSC Taraba State Chapter, and TSU itself.
Later in the evening, the campaign extended to the airwaves through a sensitization program on Shinmo 92.9 FM hosted by Mr. Oluwafemi, featuring Professor E.A. Emerhi of TSU.
She addressed the environmental and health hazards of textile waste and offered sustainable solutions, sparking interactive contributions from listeners.
The celebration was widely hailed as a resounding success, demonstrating the power of collective action in advancing a cleaner, greener, and climate-resilient Taraba State.
