By Olukayode Idowu
The Federal Government has cautioned Nigerians to refrain from dumping waste indiscriminately and to promote good hygiene practices in order to arrest the ravaging flood.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) had recently raised an alarm that 14 states and 31 communities across the country may witness heavy rainfall that may lead to flooding between July 4 and 8.
There have also been instances of flooding in some part of the country so far
The Ministry of Environment has also promised to immediately commence sensitization of residents of the federal capital territory (FCT) on the need to curb indiscriminate dumping of waste.
The Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mallam Ibrahim Yusufu made the revelation at a news briefing in Abuja towards the commemoration of this year’s national environmental sanitation day.
Yusufu, who attributed the recent flood in parts of the capital city to lack of awareness on sustainable environmental practices, said something drastic needed to be urgently done to arrest flooding during this rainy season.
He also said it has become necessary to improve access to clean water and hygiene among the people, while noting that government would provide functional facilities for the management of both hazardous and non-hazardous waste.
He said the theme for this year’s National Environmental Sanitation Day which is “Promoting Sustainable Waste Management for a Healthy Environment: Stop Open Dumping”, was apt and timely, as underscores the necessity for sound structures to be put in place for containment, collection, treatment, reuse/recycle and final disposal of all waste types solid, liquid & gaseous, thereby ensuring proper waste management and ending open dumping.
He explained that the National Environmental Sanitation Day Commemoration was established to institutionalize sound environmental sanitation practice as a lifestyle amongst the populace through massive awareness creation and reward for innovative best practices in environmental sanitation.
He said: “The Federal Ministry of Environment in collaboration with key stakeholders has been celebrating the NESD since its declaration by Mr. President in 2005 to date and it has promoted behavioural change in sanitation and hygiene practices among the citizenry. He insisted that the provision of safe, functional sanitary facilities and services in all premises for management of waste materials both hazardous & non-hazardous was necessary for sustainable waste management; noting that “this will go a long way in ensuring high level of behavioural change with respect to SDGs 3, 6, and 7 on good health and well-being, access to clean water and sanitation as well as safe management of the environment.”