Nigeria’s Minister of Environment Mr. Muhammed Abdullahi has assured that the government would continue to put policies in place to ensure a clean sustainable environment.

The Minister disclosed this at a Sensitization Campaign Walk and Clean Up Exercise at the weekend in Abuja as one of the activities lined up to commemorate World Environment Day, which was organized by the ministry in collaboration with European Union.

He said: “A devastated environment can lead to the deaths of human beings, we saw what happen during the COVID-19, my appeal to the citizens is have a clean environment  and ensures we keep our surroundings  clean. We are kick starting this day with a visit to Jabi Lake, our visit to Jabi Lake was to ensure that all trashcan thrown into the lake are retrieve, harness and put into use, which  can be recycled for viable economic ventures for people.”

Ambassador of the European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms. Samuela Isopi said the  campaign aimed at cleaning part of Jabi Lake, to helped the fishermen exploit the lake for their subsistence.

She said: “It is my pleasure to be part and contribute to this initiative with the federal ministry of environment and colleagues from the French embassy. As you may know, the world environment day will be celebrated all over the world, yet we decided to start earlier with this symbolic walk towards one of the most popular places during the weekend in Abuja.”

Isopi said more effort  is needed to ensure that the Nigeria Ecosystem is  preserved, noting that: “Today campaign is symbolic, yet important, plastic waste is a major threat to our daily life if not properly managed. For instance, I know that  fishermen are exploiting the lake for their subsistence, we can therefore support them by watching our habits.”

She hailed the minister for ensuring that the environment  is protected for both human and Ecosystem.

Also speaking at the occasion, the Deputy Ambassador French Embassy Mr. Oliver Chatelars noted that the European Commission would work with Nigeria government to ensure a healthy environment for all.

He said: “In 2015 French made a treaty on environment and if the requisition of the treaty are not followed plastic waste will multiply, all the countries are victims of plastic waste especially the Africa countries.”

Representative of Oxfam in Nigeria, Mr. Kenneth Akpan  said the organisation have been engaged in advocacy and sensitisation campaign  in Nigeria to  helped the citizens know more about their environment.

He said: “We are privilege to partner with Ministry of environment considering the menace of Climate Change  our approach is advocacy and  sensitization which we believed if  people know much of what they need to do concerning their environment  everybody will take responsibility and not leave it for the government.”

He appealed for more Climate funding for Africa countries, adding that: “Oxfam is very interested in the Climate crisis that is why the organisation is pushing for more climate financing, which  we believed is the solution  and challenge  we have here in Africa. Especially in the southern Africa.”