SOUTHWEST TRIP: CLPs FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

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SOUTHWEST TRIP: CLPs FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
by \| 03-11-2014 07:39 0
I was in Ondo state,Southwest Nigeria, for five days last week for a Community Learning Programme workshop organized by the Institute for Media and Society in Nigeria for the Commonwealth of Learning. The workshop was meant for participants from West Africa but those from other West African countries weren't able to join us in the venue but two of them were able to join via SKYPE. At the first day of the workshop, all the participants introduced the CLP they were working on. From the introductions, two of the participants were working on environmental issues. While Mr. Oluwaseun Akinola was working on "Open Defecation in Kayaima Community" in the Niger Delta area of Nigeria, Mr. Egweni Thomas was working on "Sanitation in Mushin Community" of Lagos State Nigeria. I got interested in the two topics because of their environmental importance and I made it clear to the audience that my interest owned much to my love for the environment and my commitment as the TUNZA Eco-Generation Ambassador to Nigeria. For Thomas who was working on "Sanitation in Mushin", I asked him what was the real issue in Mushin and he told me it's improper refuse disposal method of the Mushin residents. He said there's no much government attention to the issue and that even the residents are not helping matters as they refuse to pay sanitation levies to the environment agencies in the state. He also said that street sweepers in the area end up evacuating wrongly disposed refuse other than sweep because of the poor refuse disposal in Mushin. According to him, Mushin also has flood challenges. Mr. Thomas also on the first day of the workshop made mention of the difficulties he encountered trying to get in touch with the Lagos state sanitation authorities in his quest to resolve the issue but I am happy to report that before the final day of the workshop,one of the participants gave Mr. Thomas the contacts of the Lagos state Sanitation boss and he infact contacted the man who gave him a very positive response. I encouraged him and will keep on monitoring his work to ensure that it becomes successful. Now, the second case here is that of Mr. Oluwaseun Akinola who works for Radio Nigeria. He has lived for seven months in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria in the early part of his career and even though he now lives and works in Lagos state, he still had great interest in the Kayaima community of the Niger Delta. The Kayaima community is one he described as facing a huge challenge of 'Open Defecation'. He said that residents of that community have become so used to defecating openly that the action is now common place in the area. With no dumping sites,uncompleted houses have become alternatives for residents to defecate. The topography,he said, is sandy and that aids them in defecating openly. You can imagine the consequences of their actions when it rains and all these are washed down to their water bodies or the hygiene side of it when most of them after defecating openly would perhaps,not wash their hands. Some are even said to carry out the act in abandoned vehicles. It was a terrible situation but my happiness is that Mr. Oluwaseun Akinola is determined to deliver on this job. He already has people on ground that will help him in the job and when it's time in the CLP plan,I am confident he will deliver so that the environment of Kayaima community will enjoy a facelift. I will keep in touch with him to ensure the success of the project. I have since returned to my base in Southeast Nigeria and I can say my trip to southwest Nigeria has been a success for myself and Eco-Generation.

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8 Comments

says :
Thank you for sharing, UDEH CHIAGOZIE!
Posted 27-11-2014 09:01

says :
thank you for such a wonderful artcle.
Posted 22-11-2014 01:03

says :
I am really glad that you use this organization, TUNZA Eco generation to lift it up to the next stage into actions. Hope for your good movements to come! :)
Posted 10-11-2014 17:52

says :
Thanks all for your kind and encouraging comments.
Posted 05-11-2014 18:52

says :
Many congratulations Udeh, for your successful completion of the trip to the Southwest Nigeria. I am so proud that you made real research on local environmental issues and sanitation issues and made developments for the solution. Nigeria will be greener and happier country with contributions of many bright youths like you and your media members :) Thumbs up!!
Posted 04-11-2014 10:08

Rohan Kapur says :
Such CLPs are very helpful to understand problems faced by other regions & offering them solutions.
Very happy to learn that the solutions to two major issues have been identified. Now, they must make all efforts to reach to its solution.
As you promised to monitor the progress with Mr. Thomas & Mr. Oluwaseun Akinola , I'm hopeful that sanitation will improve in in Mushin Community & Open Defecation in Kayaima Community will be removed
Thanks for the report, Udeh

Posted 03-11-2014 14:33

says :
We hope kayaima community gets out this open defecate problem very soon.
Thanks for the report and informing about your Community Learning Program Udeh
Posted 03-11-2014 11:35