Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi
The North-East Development Commission (NEDC) is organising a seven-day training workshop on waste management for 150 youths who are mainly waste scavengers.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the workshop on Monday at River Edge Hotel, Bauchi, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Environments, Mr. Suleiman M. Babaji, said that “organising this kind of training workshop by the NEDC is a clear testimony of its absolute commitment to the ideals of Bauchi State Government under the leadership of Sen. Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed.”
Babaji also said that NEDC is determined to secure a sustainable environment for both the present and future.
He added that the training workshop is specifically anchored on waste management to train youths on how to harness these waste and convert them to wealth, and also boost their capacity by taking them through the fundamental principles how to do it in a safe and better ways.
According to him, “this laudable goal will no doubt contribute positively to the attainment of proper environmental sanitation and solid waste management in the state.”
Babaji emphasised the need for awareness campaign that would citizens to preserve and nurture the environment, which could be done through proper waste management.
He said: “Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, this training we are witnessing today has come at the right time and it has the potentials of providing the directional impetus to meet the environmental challenges facing our dear state. I therefore urge you to listen attentively and make judicious utilisation of the knowledge acquired in this workshop so as to transform the state positively.”
Representative of the NEDC, Dr. Muhammad Sanusi Ibrahim, said that NEDC organised the training to acquaint participants, particularly scavengers, on the new development in waste to wealth scheme.
Ibrahim added that the main focus of the training is to enlighten and educate people to change their attitude toward waste generation through the 3Rs which are, reducing waste, reusing waste and recycling waste so that the scavengers would work under a conducive atmosphere.
He said that NEDC is working to ensure strict supervision to ensure that the aims and objectives were achieved by going to see how the training was impacting on the environment through practice of modern way of waste management, generation and recycling.
