The Ogun State Government through the Ministry of Environment, in collaboration with the Environmental Management and Climate Change Club (EMC), founded by a Non- Governmental Organisation, Foundation For A Better Environment (FABE), has enlightened students on the need to mitigate the effects of indiscriminate disposal of wastes on the environment.
Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Ola Oresanya, while speaking at an enlightenment programme at Taidob College, Asero, Abeokuta, said establishing clubs in schools across the state, was a valuable way of creating awareness on how to manage climate change and turning waste into wealth by the younger generation.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mr. Sam Oyeleye, the Commissioner, explained that Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which has 17 objectives, while 11 and 13 focused on the impact of environment and climate change, towards attaining developmental objectives, stated that, “society does not exist in environment, rather humans made up society and society gives back what we give to it”.
The Commissioner, according to Mrs. Modupe Salabiu, Press Officer, Ministry of Environment, charged students to be concerned about the environment, and correct friends, neighbours and parents by educating them on how to properly dispose wastes and maintain a clean environment, in order to have a cleaner, safer and healthier place.
Contributing, the Director, Special Duties and Climate Change, Mr. Olatunji Egbemuyiwa, explained that Earth experiences climate change at least, every ten years, noting that natural cause like green-house gases, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, ozone layers, among others, while deforestation and bush burning which are human-induced have effects on climate change.
Earlier, the Director, Administrative and Supplies, Mrs. Taiwo Adebiyi, lauded government for extending the culture of managing the environment to schools, noting that creating awareness on climate change would go a long way in inculcating the habit of managing and sustaining a cleaner environment.
The founder of FABE, who was the guest speaker, Mrs Temitope Okunu emphasised the need for children to be cognizance of their environment and how it affects climate change, saying initiating a club where students would be exposed to the fundamentals of recycling, reusing and waste management was essential, as it was not in the school curriculum.
She expressed satisfaction that students had been taught how to reuse plastics, tyres for planting cans and cartons for profit purposes, promising that the foundation would continue to inform students across the state on how to manage and maintain their environment.
Highlight of the programme was presentations from students, Taidob College, Matilda High School, Abeokuta Grammar School, Lisabi Grammar School and Baptist Boys High School, all in Abeokuta on what they have been able to produce from waste.
