Let’s Embrace ‘Waste To Wealth’ Policy – Expert Tells Nigerians

Mrs Afolasade Nubi, Senior Environmental Engineer, Department of Works and Physical Planning, University of Lagos (UNILAG), has urged Nigerians to embrace `waste to wealth,’ policy initiated by the Lagos State Government.

Nubi made the call in an interview with newsmen in Lagos on Wednesday.
The engineer further urged that the policy be taken to worship centers where Nigerians gathered in large number for worship, for much public awareness, better understanding and appreciation.
According to her, religious places are where a lot of people also take others issues and activities very serious.
Nubi advised religious leaders to assist in educating their followers about the policy, especially the recycling aspect of it.
“It is also important to educate the faithful on the importance of recycling, its rewards and incentives attached to it.
‘’This will also help to create job opportunities and people will make money from it.
“Basically, we need to create awareness everywhere, the key is that people are informed and educated on the importance of the policy to the environment.
“The environment is also a very serious thing and we can get people to get aware of their environment, even from where they worship,’’ she said.
She said the issue of waste to wealth should be encouraged to create employment and reduce the amount of waste going to the landfill.
On dredging and sand filling, Nubi advised that there should be appropriate standard and monitoring of such activities by professionals.
Nubi also said there should be policy guideline on dredging activities to prevent quacks and ensure that companies follow due procedures according to the international standards.
“There are standards for everything, sand filling is not the problem, doing it properly is the issue.
“Do we have monitoring team, do we have standard; dredging should be everybody’s affair; policies of the state must be followed with due process.
“There should be association and monitoring team to ensure that there is no over dredging to avoid the dangers of over dredging of the seabed,’’ she said.
She called other states; especially Oyo State which she noted remained very green, to key into the environmental management, recycling and waste to wealth projects.
Nubi said doing so would create employment opportunities for the youth in the state among other advantages.