The Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State has partnered with the French Embassy Fund project, on plastic waste management in the campus.
AE-FUNAI was one of the five institutions of higher learning in Nigeria that won the French Embassy research grant for plastic waste management in Nigeria to combat plastic pollution and promote a safer environment on campus.
To launch the project, the university recently organised a one-day workshop themed: ‘Plastic Waste Management in AE-FUNAI’, aimed at reducing, reusing and recycling plastic waste to create value and support young researchers in developing solutions for a healthier environment.
Declaring the programme open, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Sunday Elom, extended his gratitude to the French government for the award, assuring that the university will work tirelessly to reduce the menace of plastic waste on campus.
The Vice-Chancellor, who was represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic, Prof Romanus Ejiaga, reiterated that the theme of the project “Green Campus Initiative: Transforming Plastic Waste to Wealth in AE-FUNAI Community”, encompasses elements of environmental education, community education, and entrepreneurial development that promote responsible and recycling practice.
He maintained that the university is committed to a safer environment through the campus-green initiative established in 2016, to make the campus more environmentally friendly and beautiful by planting trees and raising awareness about climate change.
Earlier, the Project Coordinator, Prof Robert Onyeneke, appreciated the French Embassy in Nigeria for their dedication to environmental sustainability and collaboration with AE-FUNAI.
He noted that in AE-FUNAI and its environs, the magnitude of plastic waste is continuously increasing, and the crises require urgent attention. He said that the purpose of the workshop was to bring together stakeholders in Ebonyi State, the academia, government, private sector, and communities amongst others to share knowledge and explore practical solutions aimed at reducing plastic waste, as well as promoting eco-friendly alternatives.
Onyeneke said tackling the plastic waste challenge in the environment requires coordinated efforts at different levels, and encouraged Nigerians to join hands together to address the challenge.
He extolled the Vice-Chancellor and his management team for their unwavering support, adding that sustainable plastic waste management falls within the core of the vice-chancellor’s strategic vision of building an environmentally conscious, socially inclusive and climate-resilient university.
In his goodwill message, a representative of the National Environmental Standards Regulatory and Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Ebonyi State, Mr Austin Nwanuforo, said the agency has been engaging in advocacy and sensitisation on plastic waste management.
According to him, the agency has introduced the mechanism known as the 6R, which includes; Reduce, Reuse, Recover, Repair, Redesign and Recycle, aimed at mopping out plastic waste in the society.
He said the agency has drafted a regulation that ensures proper plastic waste management and assured of its willingness to partner in the area of awareness creation by introducing an environmental club, where students will be educated on plastic waste management.
Speaking on ‘Preventing Plastic Pollution: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’, Dr Friday Archibong, stated that improper waste disposal systems and lack of awareness about sustainable waste disposal are issues that harm the environment and humans.
In preventing plastic pollution, he called for regulatory measures from the university and government to stop indiscriminate dumping of plastic waste in waterways and landfills.
Contributing, Dr Obinna Oje, who spoke on ‘’The Role of the Universities in Tackling Plastic Waste”, maintained that universities play a pivotal role in addressing plastic waste through education, research, innovation, and community service. As hubs of knowledge and innovation, they are positioned to drive systemic change by placing a ban on plastic items in cafeterias and installing water refill stations on campus.
He enjoined students and faculty members to join hands and contribute to a sustainable future, stressing that plastic waste pollution, if not properly managed can be detrimental to humans, as well as the environment.
