To ensure a sustainable environment for all, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Thursday tasked manufacturers to cooperate with the State government on the use of recyclable and biodegradable materials in product packaging.
He made the call at the 6th Lagos Public Relations Stakeholders’ Conference themed ‘Conversations to promote environmental sustainability in Nigeria’, Sanwo-Olu implored the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) to play a lead role in the advocacy for a cleaner Lagos, as they have the expertise to convey government message to residents.
The governor, represented by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso lamented that plastic waste constituted over 70 per cent of items polluting water bodies and blocking drains, with the devastating flooding.
The governor also said the citizens must understand that effective waste management starts from individual household, where waste must be properly bagged and sorted to facilitate recycling.
He commended the Institute for using the conference as an avenue to promoting meaningful dialogue as well as pushing the frontiers of participatory governance.
‘You will recollect that at the inception of our administration, I signed an executive order with clear instructions to the management of Lagos State Waste Management Authority to implement strategies that will ensure proper and efficient evacuation and disposal of waste across the state. Also, we reactivated the dormant land fill deposit sites, as well as waste transfer loading stations located at strategic areas in the state.’
Sanwo-Olu told Public Relations experts that the issue of environmental management is critical to the sustainability of the society, noting that the State government has been able to consolidate on the gains of previous administrations, especially in the adoption of public-private participation where waste managers and recyclers were engaged to complement government efforts.
He called on all stakeholders present at the conference to support government strategies and programmes aimed at ensuring environmental sustainability of a smart city.
Governor Sanwo-Olu, called on all stakeholders, especially Public Relation practitioners, to support the State government in its drive to achieve the ‘ Smart Lagos’ vision of the government.
Stating that Smart Lagos is the responsibility of all, Sanwo-Olu said ” We will continue to engage the co-operation of manufacturers in the production or usage of recyclable or bio-dermacable materials. I call on all stakeholders to support strategies and programmes aimed at ensuring environmental sustainability of the ‘Smart City of Lagos’.
“It is a collective responsibility in which the Lagos State chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations has a role to play especially in the area of public sensitisation and advocacy,” the governor said.
