The Association of Women Town Planners in Nigeria (AWTPN) has charged Nigerians to stop indiscriminate disposal of wastes and plastics causing pollution and affecting recreational spaces in Nigeria.

 AWTPN’s national chairman, TPL Rekiyat Fache said this while speaking in Abuja at the ‘Cleaning Up to end Plastic Pollution’ at the Jabi Lake.

She noted that plastic pollution had become a global menace, adding that Nigeria, like many developing nations, struggles with inadequate waste management infrastructure, poor environmental awareness, and unchecked consumption of single-use plastics.

Fache stated that Jabi Lake, once a pristine water body and a symbol of beauty in the Federal Capital Territory, is now under threat due to indiscriminate dumping of plastic waste and other pollutants stating that public spaces like Jabi Lake must be protected not only for ecological reasons but also for the health and wellbeing of residents.

 “As women professionals in the built environment, we cannot afford to stand while our recreational centres deteriorate, this is why today’s clean-up is not just symbolic it is a call to responsibility,” she said.

 The association members, she noted, “believe that planning must prioritise environmental resilience, especially in urban and peri-urban areas. Communities must be educated and engaged in sustainable waste practices.

 “It is a call for action and it is everybody’s responsibility to make sure that we have thriving communities and environment. This is who we are, this is what we do as an association, it is one of our missions to make sure that we have this. 

 “Let us transform our planning tables into platforms for environmental justice. Let us plant the seeds of change in every zoning regulation, waste management plan, and infrastructure design. Let us amplify the voices of women and ensure they are not only heard but empowered to lead the fight against plastic pollution.” 

 “Government and private sector stakeholders must be held accountable and encouraged to invest in circular economy solutions. 

 “To all Nigerians, this is our call to action. Reducing plastic use is not just the job of the government it is a shared responsibility,” she added.

Also speaking, senior special assistant to the president on Climate Change Technology and Operations, Dr. Olamide Fagbuji, said the lake was in need of urgent attention considering the huge numbers of plastic pollution.