Christmas is one of the most eagerly anticipated annual events but the ruin it leaves behind is nothing to write home about. Africa, particularly Nigeria hitherto is faced with burgeoning waste management problems doubled after the festivities of Christmas. A walk around major cities after the merriment would reveal trash bins overflowing with refuse. It often takes weeks or month before the authorities responsible comes to take them away.

When they finally do, some of the waste must have spilled into drainages. With the rains approaching, the end of those waste in gutters become a source of apprehension what are the contents of the refuse? Are they potentially dangerous to aquatic and terrestrial life? Are they bio-degradable? These and many more questions come to mind knowing that these wastes will be washed by the rains into the river.

Those that get evacuated eventually are often not properly disposed. They are transported to dump sites (sometimes thrown emptied into the river without being treated) where they are burned or allowed to rot. In the earlier, the smoke bellowing from the lighted refuse becomes a source of respiratory disease to the residents in the area who naively inhale the poisoned gases. The ozone pays the ultimate price. Last year, there was an outbreak of Cholera in Makurdi which started among those living along the riverbanks. This year, the epidemic has resurfaced in parts of Bayelsa state, another riverine community. In the latter, the pungent putrefaction makes the area an eyesore and kills the aesthetics of the environment.

This is a clarion call on individuals and or organisations with the wherewithal to come invest in Nigeria because I see a lot of untapped treasures disguised as dump I see metal scraps that can be re-casted, nylons and empty plastic bottles that can be recycled, I see lots of organic matter that can become manure. By helping to transform these wastes, the individual or organisation won?t only be making a fortune but saving our environment and a million lives from various diseases.