African Cleanup Initiative (ACI) on Monday said its Green Independence Cleanup would hold on Saturday in 59 communities across the country to celebrate Nigeria’s independence anniversary.
ACI Chief Environmental Officer, Alexander Akhigbe, told journalists on Monday in Lagos that the initiative would join hands with individuals and organisations with passion for the nation in the free clean up exercise.
” Our mission as an organisation is to raise environmentally responsible citizens across Africa.
“Green Independence Cleanup is a way of bringing like minds together to advocate and to sensitise the people on why we should all give back when it comes to environmental sustainability,” Akhigbe
He said that if care was not taken, it would get to a stage where people would be picking plastic instead of fish in the ocean, adding that the Green Independence Cleanup would also involve children.
Akhigbe said that the organisation would recover plastics from waterways and hand them over to recycling firms free of charge.
Also speaking, ACI Operations Manager, Blessing Martins, said Green Independence Cleanup was aimed at enlightening Nigerians on the act of volunteering and community service.
“We realised that the only way we can make impact in our own nation is to volunteer as individuals because we can not depend on the government to help us on all we do.
” The Green Independence Cleanup event is not a paid project but an opportunity for people to be able to give back to the society.
“Some of the activities involved for the GIC is sanitation and sensitisation exercise, advocacy, Green Rally and Recycling Challenge, this gives opportunities for communities and individuals to decide on the particular activity they will be participating in,” Martins said.
The Project Manager of ACI, Mr Munnir Adams, said that the Green Independence Cleanup would take place in 59 communities across the country such as Calabar, Bauchi, Lagos, Rivers, Kaduna, Jigawa, Lagos and Abuja.
Adams commended Aspire Coronation Trust Foundation for its support for the project and the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) which pledged compactor trucks to evacuate the refuse that would be recovered on Saturday.
He explained that ACI was looking at 50 volunteers in each location who were ready to make impact in all the above mentioned states.
Adams urged Nigerians to collaborate with ACI to participate in the national Green Independence Cleanup to support the government in making the environment cleaner and healthier for Nigerians.
Adams said the exercise would take place in Badagry, Agbara, Agege Motor road, Iyanapaja, Mushi, Oko-Oba, Ayobo, Ikota, Epe, Ikorodu and Eti-Osa areas of Lagos State.
