Fadekemi Ajakaiye
Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), the foremost environmental NGO in Nigeria dedicated to nature conservation and sustainable development, embarked on waste management advocacy campaign activities in six markets in Ijebu North Local Government Area, Ogun State.
NCF received, for the second time, Aspire Coronation Trust (ACT) Foundation grant to advocate for actions that promote proper waste separation/sorting, management and disposal in selected markets of Ijebu North LGA, Ogun State, geared towards making our environment sustainable and habitable for future generation, according to a statement signed by the Director General, Dr. Muhtari Aminu-Kano.
As part of the objective of the project titled- Improving Community-Market Sustainability in Waste Management in Ijebu North LGA, Ogun State, it hope to reduce the threat and health risk posed by dirty environment while empowering the beneficiaries to take responsibility for proper sanitation in the markets.
The six selected markets are Obada Station I & II, Ojowo Atikori, Awa, Mamu, Oru/Awa, and Ago-Iwoye.
The project is being carried out over a period of 12 months, commencing from September 2018. It has been divided into 5 major phases: Market Entry; Market Sensitisation; Clean up Exercise; Monitoring & Evaluation; and Post Project Supervision.
Recently, the Sensitisation and Clean up exercises were carried out at Obada Station market and Ojowo-Atikori market, where market women and men trouped out in their hundreds to participate.
The project will also provide modern waste bin for each markets at stall level which will aid proper disposal of waste generated in the market. Before the intervention of this project, the markets do not have such waste management facility characterising the market place with heaps of waste dumps sighted across the market. The project will also build capacity of Health and Sanitation Officers in Ijebu North LGA to further smoothen the relationship of the Officers and market traders towards better sanitation in the area.
Mr. Rufus Ayebusuwa, Director, Environmental Sanitation, Ijebu North LGA in his Heath Talk advised the market traders on the importance of sanitation to human wellbeing particularly in eradicating infection and disease. Mr. Solomon Adefolu of NCF delivered the Sensitisation talk, admonished the market traders the need to inculcate a proper waste management culture especially in waste sorting and disposal. He further assured the market of NCF support through this project in delivering an efficient waste disposal mechanism by working with all stakeholders.
In his welcome address, Baba Loja of Obada Station Market welcomed the participants and thanked NCF for bringing such initiative to the market as though it compliments the effort of the government in ensuring clean environment. He further led the people in the clean-up exercise across the market stalls which lasted for over 60 minutes.
NCF has successfully implemented a similar waste management advocacy campaign in 17 communities of Eti-Osa LGA in Lagos in 2017/2018 where large to medium size outdoor waste bins were provided for the communities to improve their waste disposal system.
