By, Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna
As Nigeria celebrates National Environmental Sanitation Day on June 28th each year—a tradition that began in 2005 during President Olusegun Obasanjo’s tenure—
Ibrahim Yakubu, a science and environmental journalist working with African Climate Reporters(ACR) and the Network of African Science Journalists,(NASJ) has appealed to the federal government and all 36 state governments to revive the monthly sanitation exercise across the country.
This initiative is crucial to safeguarding Nigerians against environmental pollution, climate change, and other forms of environmental degradation.
Yakubu emphasized that reinstating the monthly environmental exercise on the last Saturday of every month would significantly reduce the outbreak of diseases, viruses, and other germs, such as cholera, typhoid, and waterborne diseases, which pose serious health risks across the nation.
In a press release made available on Saturday, Yakubu highlighted the urgent need for both state and federal governments to revive comprehensive environmental cleaning exercises.
He pointed out that dedicating the last Saturday of each month toward cleaning the environment is essential to prevent the spread of diseases and other health problems linked to poor environmental conditions.
Yakubu stressed that reviving this monthly exercise would help citizens adopt better environmental protection practices through regular cleaning activities.
Beyond the annual celebration of National Environmental Sanitation Day, he urged both state and federal governments to develop new strategies for educating citizens on the importance of regular environmental cleaning to safeguard communities against diseases and germs.
He cited Rwanda as a model for cleanliness, noting that it is currently regarded as the cleanest country among the 54 African nations. Nigeria, he suggested, could learn from Rwanda and other developed countries to improve its environmental ecosystem.
In conclusion, Yakubu mentioned that his organization and other environmental stakeholders in Nigeria’s plan to honor the cleanest state in Nigeria.
He also called on Nigerians to engage in continuous tree planting within their communities to prevent erosion and mitigate the impact of windstorms and other natural disasters affecting rural areas.
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