1. Which area of sustainability is the most urgent in your country?
Presently, Nigeria my country cannot achieved sustainable development without the entire institutional framework and system of the nation undergoing reforms. The nation is wobbling badly and areas and aspect of the nation's fabric required attention. Conscious that Nigeria is not a nation but an amalgam of several or diverse nations coerced into an unholy union without consultations and without consent, the problem that stare the nation in the face that make it hard to achieve sustainable development includes among others: the problem of divolution of powers, fiscal federalism and principle of derivation as well as return to parliamentary democracy, electoral reforms, security reforms and several others ; these remains the agitation of the common masses. On these institutional reforms hang the problem of environmental sustainblility reform too, which is supposed to take the centre stage. Our enivironment are not adequately receiving attention. Institutional and political reforms will imapct seriously on the nation and help stabilized the nation if caried out honestly so that the gains of our struggles does not continue to be eroded and where values, merit and hardwork were abandoned for bankruptcy, retarded brigandage and gross mediocrity.
2. How would you like to get involved?
As a special person, I have been instrumental in helping Persons Living with Disabilities to get their grievances of exclusion from partcipation in any major national policies to the government. We are now having our representatives in many of the government conferences and workshop designed to shape or implements national policy on some issues. More, we prepare draft bills on several issues ranging from environmental problem, infrastructural facilities, accesibility, empowerment and advocay for all persons with disabilities, in our Parliaments. Some of our draft bills have been passed into Acts of the parliament. We are participating more on environmental issues as regards gas flaring and harzardous effects of toxic fumes, depletion of our forest and ecological faunas etc. We have ensured that any major conferences announced by goverment must necessarily include our group of vulnerable people with disabilities.
3. Have you chosen a practical project yet? If not, now is the time to identify it!
I have a project on 'Managing Wastes and e-Wastes Products in Cosmoplitan/Metrpolitan Lagos City'. This project started last September 2007.
To give summary of the project, I took long to go round distributing a proposal seeking partnership to allow the youths achieved employment via co-ordinating and working on wastes accumulation and cleaning of the cities with payment from government as well as corporate
institution 'common pool'.
PROJECT SUMMARY
Project Title: Managing Solid Wastes and E-wastes products in Metropolitan/Cosmopolitan Lagos City State.
Project Overview: The Government of the Lagos State of Nigeria through its ministries of the Environment and Physical Planning, are responsible for maintaining the environment in Lagos State. This include supervising cleaning and sanitation of the cities, supervising planning and consrtuction of houses etc.
The cities are full of dirts and filths as everyday over 300 metric tonnes of refuse are generated by households, companies and establishments, thus, making solid wastes management problematic. A proposal was drafted to involve unemployed youths in environmental sanitation and cleaning of the cities. The proposal seeks among other things the partnerships of: (i) The Lagos State Governor; (ii) The Lagos State Ministry of the Environment; (iii) Ministry of Physical Planning; (iv) Lagos State Wastes Mnagement Authority (LAWMA); (v) All the 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs); (iv) All the 52 Community Development Areas (CDAs); (vii) Several NGOS working in the reas of environment; (viii) Corporate Organisations, to pool resources and employ jobless youths with remuneration on daily or weekly basis for sanitation work.
PROJECT STRATEGY
IMPLEMENTS: The Lagos State Wastes Management Board in partneship with the others mentioned above took deliveries of large numbers of implements for use in saniation exercise by the youths. These includes: Garbage bins, hoes, cutlasses, plastic container bins, 4 Wheel charts, spade or shovels, rakes, brush, tipper lorries, uniforms complete with hand gloves etc.
YOUTHS PARTICIPANTS: Unemployed youths from age 16 years and 35 or above were given inviatation.
HAND BILLS: These were circulated among youths calling for their patriotism and to come out and claen our towns and cities with attractive remuneration.
WAGE OR FEES: Was fixed at between four hundred Naira from 7.30a.m till 2.30p.m and six hundred Naira from 7.30 a.m till 5p.m daily.
REGISTRATION AND TRAINING: Was effected for three days by the Lagos State Wastes Management Authority (LAWMA). More than 300 enthusiast enlisted for the project. Each LGS and CDA register some handful of youhs particiapants.
PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION
SANITATION OBSERVATION DAYS: In Lagos State, the government has enacted environmental sanitation edict that set aside every thursday in a week from 7.00 a.m to 10.00 a.m for shop owners and business community to observe sanitation exercises while, every last saturdays of every month from 7.00a.m to 10.00a.m has been reserved for general sanitation by the public.
The youths will work on thursdays and saturadys during sanitation exercise and carry on till the evening.
DIVISON OF WORKS IN SANITATION: The participating youths were divided into groups: The Street Sweepers; The Drain Ducks who clean and dreg the gutters and canals; The Lawn Mowers who cut the grasses round and about the cities; The Sorties who sorted refuse into papers, electronic wastes (e-wastes), plastics, etc; The Drivers who drive the refuse lorries and trucks; The 4 Wheel Chart Pushers who collects the refuse and garbage etc.
PLANTERS AND WATERERS: These are required to water flowers as well as plant flowers on pavements and public places. They work with horticulturists to beautify the landscape.
CONCLUSION: The project achieved sustainable ecological sanitation for Lagos cities, improved the towns and cities hygiene and reliable efficient heating and cleaning system in Lagos State environment through construction and enhancement of physical infrastrucure, training and education of the youths as well as public and the creation of a Lagos cities Sanitation Committee.
In a next step, the lesson learnt and specific outcomes of the project are promoted in regional and national levels. The project has been implemented in Lagos State by Lagos State Wastes Management Authority (LAWMA) in close collaboration with relevant local authorities in Lagos State. The Ministries of Environment and Physical Planning was responsible for the training, employment andssistance to the youths for the sanitation committee, providing educational sessions, training materials and follow-up ideas. This project was succesful and is hereby recommended to be replicated in other regions and countries as well.
Presently, Nigeria my country cannot achieved sustainable development without the entire institutional framework and system of the nation undergoing reforms. The nation is wobbling badly and areas and aspect of the nation's fabric required attention. Conscious that Nigeria is not a nation but an amalgam of several or diverse nations coerced into an unholy union without consultations and without consent, the problem that stare the nation in the face that make it hard to achieve sustainable development includes among others: the problem of divolution of powers, fiscal federalism and principle of derivation as well as return to parliamentary democracy, electoral reforms, security reforms and several others ; these remains the agitation of the common masses. On these institutional reforms hang the problem of environmental sustainblility reform too, which is supposed to take the centre stage. Our enivironment are not adequately receiving attention. Institutional and political reforms will imapct seriously on the nation and help stabilized the nation if caried out honestly so that the gains of our struggles does not continue to be eroded and where values, merit and hardwork were abandoned for bankruptcy, retarded brigandage and gross mediocrity.
2. How would you like to get involved?
As a special person, I have been instrumental in helping Persons Living with Disabilities to get their grievances of exclusion from partcipation in any major national policies to the government. We are now having our representatives in many of the government conferences and workshop designed to shape or implements national policy on some issues. More, we prepare draft bills on several issues ranging from environmental problem, infrastructural facilities, accesibility, empowerment and advocay for all persons with disabilities, in our Parliaments. Some of our draft bills have been passed into Acts of the parliament. We are participating more on environmental issues as regards gas flaring and harzardous effects of toxic fumes, depletion of our forest and ecological faunas etc. We have ensured that any major conferences announced by goverment must necessarily include our group of vulnerable people with disabilities.
3. Have you chosen a practical project yet? If not, now is the time to identify it!
I have a project on 'Managing Wastes and e-Wastes Products in Cosmoplitan/Metrpolitan Lagos City'. This project started last September 2007.
To give summary of the project, I took long to go round distributing a proposal seeking partnership to allow the youths achieved employment via co-ordinating and working on wastes accumulation and cleaning of the cities with payment from government as well as corporate
institution 'common pool'.
PROJECT SUMMARY
Project Title: Managing Solid Wastes and E-wastes products in Metropolitan/Cosmopolitan Lagos City State.
Project Overview: The Government of the Lagos State of Nigeria through its ministries of the Environment and Physical Planning, are responsible for maintaining the environment in Lagos State. This include supervising cleaning and sanitation of the cities, supervising planning and consrtuction of houses etc.
The cities are full of dirts and filths as everyday over 300 metric tonnes of refuse are generated by households, companies and establishments, thus, making solid wastes management problematic. A proposal was drafted to involve unemployed youths in environmental sanitation and cleaning of the cities. The proposal seeks among other things the partnerships of: (i) The Lagos State Governor; (ii) The Lagos State Ministry of the Environment; (iii) Ministry of Physical Planning; (iv) Lagos State Wastes Mnagement Authority (LAWMA); (v) All the 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs); (iv) All the 52 Community Development Areas (CDAs); (vii) Several NGOS working in the reas of environment; (viii) Corporate Organisations, to pool resources and employ jobless youths with remuneration on daily or weekly basis for sanitation work.
PROJECT STRATEGY
IMPLEMENTS: The Lagos State Wastes Management Board in partneship with the others mentioned above took deliveries of large numbers of implements for use in saniation exercise by the youths. These includes: Garbage bins, hoes, cutlasses, plastic container bins, 4 Wheel charts, spade or shovels, rakes, brush, tipper lorries, uniforms complete with hand gloves etc.
YOUTHS PARTICIPANTS: Unemployed youths from age 16 years and 35 or above were given inviatation.
HAND BILLS: These were circulated among youths calling for their patriotism and to come out and claen our towns and cities with attractive remuneration.
WAGE OR FEES: Was fixed at between four hundred Naira from 7.30a.m till 2.30p.m and six hundred Naira from 7.30 a.m till 5p.m daily.
REGISTRATION AND TRAINING: Was effected for three days by the Lagos State Wastes Management Authority (LAWMA). More than 300 enthusiast enlisted for the project. Each LGS and CDA register some handful of youhs particiapants.
PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION
SANITATION OBSERVATION DAYS: In Lagos State, the government has enacted environmental sanitation edict that set aside every thursday in a week from 7.00 a.m to 10.00 a.m for shop owners and business community to observe sanitation exercises while, every last saturdays of every month from 7.00a.m to 10.00a.m has been reserved for general sanitation by the public.
The youths will work on thursdays and saturadys during sanitation exercise and carry on till the evening.
DIVISON OF WORKS IN SANITATION: The participating youths were divided into groups: The Street Sweepers; The Drain Ducks who clean and dreg the gutters and canals; The Lawn Mowers who cut the grasses round and about the cities; The Sorties who sorted refuse into papers, electronic wastes (e-wastes), plastics, etc; The Drivers who drive the refuse lorries and trucks; The 4 Wheel Chart Pushers who collects the refuse and garbage etc.
PLANTERS AND WATERERS: These are required to water flowers as well as plant flowers on pavements and public places. They work with horticulturists to beautify the landscape.
CONCLUSION: The project achieved sustainable ecological sanitation for Lagos cities, improved the towns and cities hygiene and reliable efficient heating and cleaning system in Lagos State environment through construction and enhancement of physical infrastrucure, training and education of the youths as well as public and the creation of a Lagos cities Sanitation Committee.
In a next step, the lesson learnt and specific outcomes of the project are promoted in regional and national levels. The project has been implemented in Lagos State by Lagos State Wastes Management Authority (LAWMA) in close collaboration with relevant local authorities in Lagos State. The Ministries of Environment and Physical Planning was responsible for the training, employment andssistance to the youths for the sanitation committee, providing educational sessions, training materials and follow-up ideas. This project was succesful and is hereby recommended to be replicated in other regions and countries as well.
Adewale Adeyanju
