Ms. Laure Beaufils, The Deputy High Commissioner, British High Commission, has advised the government to see recycling of plastic and other waste as a means to boost the economic status of Nigeria.
The Deputy High Commissioner gave the advice at the commemoration of the 2018 Earth Day organised by the Lufasi Nature Park in Ajah, Lagos.
Beaufils said Nigerians need to see plastic and waste recycling from the business and profit-making angles.
She stated, “It is a global issue and it is fantastic that Nigeria is also stepping in on issues bothering on eradicating plastic waste.
“A lot more needs to be done, and it is fantastic that even by tackling the issues, the communities and individuals can make money from recycling.”
Also present at the event was the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Recycle Points, Alison Ukonu; he noted that improper disposal of waste could have a negative effect on the environment.
In his words “By proper management of waste, Nigerians can enjoy the benefits from the proper recycling of waste. Recycle Points is working towards having recycling centres in every part of Lagos for the communities to trade their waste for points in order to win different prices.
“For the country to help the environment, Nigerians must understand the value of the waste they throw away carelessly.”
Mr. Desmond Majekodunmi, The Executive Director, Lufasi Nature Park, , said there was the need for increased sensitisation of Nigerians to the effect of plastic use.
He noted that the country was the eleventh largest dumper of plastic in the oceans.
Majekodunmi said, “It is very important to know that our activities have done a lot of damage to the earth, which gives us everything for our survival.
“The reality is that by 2050, if not earlier than that, we could have more plastic in the oceans than we have fishes, and that is very scary. So many creatures in the oceans are eating plastic and being killed off, that is why the population of fishes is being reduced and we know billions of people depend on fish for their protein needs.”
He concluded that Nigerians must be part of the solution to proper recycling of wastes in order to ensure a good legacy was left for the coming generation.
