•Launch new app to clean environment with traders, volunteers joining in the exercise
By Gloria Ikegbule
Nigeria has signed up to join the rest of the world in using waste mapping App, ‘World CleanUp’ to clean up illegal dump sites in the country. The initiative, it is expected, would start bearing fruits ahead of the World Clean Up Day in September 15, 2018.
The ‘World CleanUp’ App developed by Let’s Do It World Foundation in Estonia, Daily Sun learnt, would be officially launched in Nigeria on September 15, 2017. During the World Clean Up Day exercise, environmental volunteers across the world would sign up with Let’s Do It World Foundation to clean-up wastes dumped at illegal sites in their respective countries which were captured using the waste app.
This much was revealed recently by Mr. Olumide Coker, the Country Leader, Let’s Do It Nigeria. He said the pilot test for the illegal waste mapping App had commenced in Lagos. He said the test-run of the App had been launched at Ladipo Market in Mushin Local Government Area of Lagos.
The Ladipo market clean-up exercise it was learnt, organised by Junior Chamber International (JCI) Eko, sponsored by Let’s Do It World Foundation. “We are currently building a database of illegal waste dumpsite mapping through a phone App Software called ‘World Cleanup’ App which was created by ‘Let’s Do It World Foundation. It will report illegal dump sites and trash piles all over Nigeria in preparation for the 2018 World Clean Up Exercise,” Coker explained.
He noted that the Ladipo clean-up exercise which marked the pilot test of the World Clean Up App for illegal waste mapping was organised in partnership with African Clean Up Initiative, the organiser of the Clean Up Nigeria project, Mushin Local Government Council and Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA).
Coker disclosed that over 100 volunteers including the traders and the market union participated in the JCI Eko engineered clean up exercise at Ladipo market. That he said was geared toward achieving good health and well being of the traders, adding that the JCI Eko was in charge of fulfilling Let’s Do It World plans in Nigeria.
Speaking to Daily Sun, Mr. Alex Akhigbe, founder of African Clean up Initiative and Assistant Country Leader, Let’s Do It World Nigeria, said that the group was an international clean up organisation whose support for the Ladipo market clean up exercise would see volunteers clean up clogged channels in the market, noting that the exercise was a conscious and deliberate way of promoting the message of a clean and healthy environment.
On the essence of the illegal waste mapping Akhigbe said: “Reporting waste not properly disposed and checking environmental nuisance will give room for redress as well as build a sense of responsibility in the citizens which will engender accountability and sustainability.”
According to the Clean-up Project Team Lead of JCI Eko, Mr. Akintunde Savage, “Engaging the traders in clean up exercises is one way of helping them to take responsibility for the care of the environment rather than waiting for the government as the latter cannot shoulder the responsibility of caring for the environment alone.”
Mr. Ekutoise Ezesele, environmental task force chairman, Ladipo market, pointed out that the market was not usually dirty because the traders kept to the weekly s general sanitation being observed in the market every Thursdays. He, however, disclosed that littering constituted the biggest problem in the market even as the noted that the irregularity of the waste disposal agency in carrying out its responsibility regularly was another big challenge. He said that the identified problems were responsible for the clogged drainage channels that which were cleaned by JCI Eko during the Ladipo market clean up exercise.
Chief Environmental Health Officers (EHO), Mushin Local Government, Mr Yomi Ajinibi, said he and his team joined JCI in the clean-up of Ladipo market to make people realise the importance of everyday sanitation. “Clean-up exercise should not just be observed on Thursdays alone; it ought to be a routine activity.
“Ladipo market has a large number of traders who generate huge wastes regularly. So, it is important that the traders clean their surroundings to avoid blockage of the drainage channels whenever it rains. Observance of good hygiene would help to prevent the traders from contacting various diseases which are peculiar to dirty environment.”
He expressed sadness that many people in Mushin often failed to clean their environments, regretting that the people knew the right things to do with regard to keeping their environment clean but simply refused to do them.
Health Officer, Cleaner Lagos Initiative said for the programme to become a huge success, there was need for all stakeholders to embark on massive grassroots sensitisation of the people.
Picture 1:
L – R Alex Akhigbe, Founder of African Clean up Initiative, Olumide Coker, Country Leader Let’s Do It! World, Fumi Ayodele President JCI Eko and Tunde Savage Team JCI Eko Clean Up during mapping and clean up exercise at Ladipo Market, Lagos State.