Consume goods that use less energy, water, and waste less food – Ban Ki-moon

Mrs Adeola Adedeji (UNIC Lagos) addresses the audience

UNIC and partners lead cleaning exercise at Iddo Market, Lagos

A group picture

A sensitisation session in the market

A call has gone to all Nigerians and other peoples of the world to shift their consumption patterns towards goods that use less energy, water and other resources, and by wasting less food.  “In this year of transformation, when we hope to see great advances on sustainable development and climate change, let us think about the environmental consequences of the choices we make,” the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, has said in his message on the occasion of the 2015 World Environment Day.

Delivering the message of the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon on the occasion of the observance, at a symposium held at the Lagos State Waste Management Agency (LAWMA) office, the Director of UNIC Lagos, Mr Ronald Kayanja represented by Ms Adeola Adedeji, further called on people to ‘let us celebrate World Environment Day by becoming more conscious of our ecological impact,’ and hoped to see great advances on sustainable development and climate change.

Awareness walk, ‘Green Walk’

Activities for this year’s event, organized by the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) Lagos, the Nigerian Environmental Society (NES) and the Lagos State Waste Management Agency (LAWMA), also included the cleaning of Iddo market in Lagos and an awareness road walk.
The cleaning exercise, which involved the traders in the market, was meant to strengthen the culture of maintaining a clean environment, especially in the various markets where the rate of wastes generation is high.
Sensitising the traders, the representative of LAWMA, Mrs Abimbola Jijoho-Ogun, stressed the health benefits of a clean environment and the importance of tree planting as no tree was sighted in the market. She added that the traders should eschew the habits of disposing wastes into the drainage as this could block the channels and lead to flooding with possible loss of lives and property.
In his keynote address, Mr. Olayiwole Onasanya, who spoke on sustainable consumption and production, emphasised the minimal usage of resources, the purpose and benefits of re-usage, recycling and reduction of material in use.
The Chairman of the Nigerian Environmental Society (NES), Lagos State Chapter, Dr Eugene Itua, in his remarks urged everyone to contribute to ensuring cleaner air and a greener environment in Nigeria.
The awareness walk tagged, ‘The Green Walk’ and held earlier today, was organised by the International Living Africa in collaboration with the All Nigeria United Nations Students’ Association (ANUNSA) and UNIC Lagos.

This entry was posted in World Environment Day on June 8, 2015 by Oluseyi Soremekun.