in Ado Ekiti

The United Nations has called on residents of Ekiti State to adopt greener habits by reducing plastic use, separating waste for easier recycling, reusing containers and choosing digital over paper.

The Project Coordinator of UN-Habitat for Southern Nigeria and Technical Advisor,  Geographic Information System and Land Management, Akintobi Olusanmi, made this appeal in Ado-Ekiti during a visit to the Ekiti Dump Site and the Ekiti State Waste Management Authority Complex, where samples are collected for the Waste Wise City Programme.

The Ekiti State Government, under the leadership of Governor Biodun Oyebanji also vowed to tackle environmental degradation, adding that it’s committed to achieving a greener, cleaner and healthier environment in the state.

The Chief of Staff to the Ekiti State Governor, Niyi Adebayo emphasized that the administration of Governor Oyebanji is deliberate about achieving its objective of ensuring the environment is safe for all residents.

Adebayo also restated the commitment of the administration in tapping into the wealth-generating potential of waste in the state.

In her remarks, the Ekiti State Commissioner for Environment, Tosin Aluko-Ajisafe, advocated policies to cut plastic use at the source, saying that the initiative is not about expensive waste-to-energy plants.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on State Capital Development Authority, Tade Aluko, also stressed that the state would not wait on the key issues as Governor Oyebanji’s administration has invested heavily in ecological projects and green economy signalling climate action as a core priority.

In his remarks, the  Project Operationalisation Coordinator of Waste Wise City Tool Survey, Olamide Olajide, stressed that Ekiti State is the only subnational in the federation that has insisted on carrying out the coordination of the survey to ensure adequate reports are collated for easy implementation.

He noted that Ekiti State has set the stage for others to follow, while also commending Oyebanji’s massive investment in the sector.

Other stakeholders touring the sampling venues at Ekiti Dump Site and the Ekiti State Waste Management Authority Complex were Project Coordinator, UN-Habitat for Southern Nigeria and Technical Adviser on eGIS and Land Management, Akintobi Olusanmi; Technical Adviser to the Governor on Green Economy and Ecological Matters, Dr. Akinyemi Akinyugha; Project Operationalisation Coordinator of Waste Wise City Tool Survey, Olamide Olajide; representatives from all health-related MDAs in the state and the UN-Habitat team.