• Seek FG’s ban of single-use plastics
In commemoration of the World Clean Up Day, experts have urged developing nations suffering from the impact of climate change to hold rich nations accountable for the commitments made to climate financing.

Speaking at a Ploggathon, in Abuja, at the weekend, they also urged the Federal Government to ban single-use plastic in the country, while observing the challenge posed by plastic waste and its increasing global and national concerns, as well as its attendant public and environmental health implications.

According to them, rich nations, which are major drivers of climate change, must also respect international treaties, such as the Paris Agreement, Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and honour demands from African countries, especially from the recent ACS 2023 Nairobi Declaration.

The exercise witnessed youths and adults from the private and public space gathered picking up litters along the streets as part of the approach needed to address environmental issues presented by a fast-changing climate.

Administrative Director, Plogging Nigeria, Ayodeji Omilabu, said climate change remains a defining challenge, which requires immediate attention and action.

While drawing attention to climate financing, loss and damage and the need to spotlight them, especially for Nigeria and Africa, Omilabu maintained that climate finance is not merely allocation of financial resources to climate issues, it is an investment in the collective future of the people.

He noted that rich nations must ensure that “climate finance is not seen as a privilege or aid, but as a right earned and that must be respected by the countries, who are major drivers of climate change.”

Coordinator of Climate Change Project, Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), Nicholas Adeniyi, observed climate change as a mainstream issue that affects Nigeria in many ways.

According to him, while flooding is rendering many people homeless, desertification and drought across the frontline states are displacing many from their natural homelands.

Executive director, Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation (GIFSEP), David Michael, urged the government to promote the use of reusable plastics.

He said: “We need to ban the use of single use plastics in Nigeria. We use these plastics and discard them. When we do that, where do they go to? They are within the environment, and it takes them thousands of years to decompose. We, therefore, need to promote the usage of reusable plastics.”