Ibironke Olubamise has a combined 30 years of experience in conservation, environmental management, grant administration and strategic leadership. She is the pioneer National Coordinator of the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF SGP), implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Nigeria. Having worked with 130 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to implement over 170 environmental projects in about 200 communities in 29 states of the federation, she also coordinated the Community Based REDD+ programme of the United Nations Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (UNREDD+) in Nigeria. Prior to this, she headed the Technical Programmes Department of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), as the first Nigerian female to occupy the position. She later became the pioneer Head of Strategic Operations of NCF and served as the Secretary to the Consultancy Committee of the NCF National Executive Council.
Olubamise also partners with the staff of the Federal Ministry of Environment to support the fulfilment of Nigeria’s obligations to many of the environment-related multilateral agreements such as the Convention on Biological Diversity; the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change; the Convention to Combat Desert and Desertification; the Convention on Migratory Species and Ramsar Convention on Wetlands; Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. In this interview with IJEOMA THOMAS-ODIA, she speaks on her passion for preserving the environment and other issues.

Take us through your illustrious career path
My desire was to study Medicine but thank God that I discovered very early that I was not cut out to be a medical doctor. It was strange to me that I couldn’t stand the sight of someone bleeding or in pain. I shivered uncontrollably the first time I saw a corpse at the scene of an accident. The first time I found myself in a hospital, I grew sick and fainted. My desire to study Medicine was, hence, ditched. I ended up studying Microbiology at the University of Lagos. I tried to delve into Medical Microbiology, but this was also not to be for the same reasons. I moved on to study Environmental Microbiology for my Master’s Degree at the University of Lagos also.

Immediately after my M.Sc. in Environmental Microbiology, and while working as the Head of Environment Desk of a Television Programme, I encountered the Leadership for Environment and Development (LEAD) fellowship programme of the Rockefeller Foundation. I applied and became the youngest Nigerian Fellow of the LEAD International at graduation in 1998. From here, I started a blossoming career in Environmental Management. In partnership with some senior citizens, we started an Environmental Consulting firm in Lagos. This saw us to the organisation of the first workshop on environmental management for banks and financial institutions. In collaboration with the Lagos State government through the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) we started the publication of “The Lagos Environment” to create awareness, engage stakeholders and promote interactions with the aim of managing the environment sustainably.

It was in and through these efforts that I got the Chevening Scholarship award by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FOC) to study for Master’s in Business Administration, specialising in Environmental Management from the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, United Kingdom. The course, which was a scholarship, I believe was by divine intervention for so many reasons. I was told that the FCO doesn’t sponsor for MBA but I got it without any stress. I later joined the famous Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) as the first African woman to head the Technical Programmes department of the organisation. Then the United States government, seeing my passion and what I was doing, nominated me for the International Visitors’ Leadership Programme (IVLP) to visit America along with a group of other professionals. In 2009, I started as the pioneer National Coordinator for the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme. To date I have worked to support over 140 Civil Society Organisations to implement over 180 Environmental Projects in over 200 communities in 29 states of Nigeria.

What has been your experience with environmental projects having worked in over 200 communities? What do you consider peculiar challenges?
Having supported over 180 projects in over 200 communities, the experiences with the projects vary depending on the places and the people that are involved. The interesting thing about Nigeria’s environment is that each region has its own peculiar environmental issues. The northern part is despoiled by desertification and desert encroachment. The southern and western parts face deforestation, biodiversity and habitat loss, while the eastern states are faced with erosion. Though there are pockets of each of the peculiar challenges in the other states, the peculiar environmental challenges are very clear for each part of the country. In terms of human environmental nexus, unsustainable exploitation of natural resources, poverty, gender imbalance, scarcity, ignorance and lack of capacity are the major issues that affect the environment either in terms of degradation or management of the environment.

Therefore, all the projects we have supported are geared towards addressing these issues, though at varying degrees. The most critical of all these are poverty and gender imbalance. The interesting thing about working with the communities is that whereas there may be initial inertia because of their experience with fraudsters who have deceived and even defrauded the poor communities; everyone is ready to accept the propositions and solutions if only the proponents are sincere. My conclusion is that an average Nigerian is eager to cooperate to address challenges together. I also found out that it is not too difficult to please an average Nigerian. This may be because they have been starved of development assistance for so long. Thus, any small help and or ray of hope is embraced enthusiastically. I also discovered that our indigenous knowledge is so critical and any deliberate or unintentional effort to erode this is at our own peril. Good enough, the preaching to return to nature is gaining momentum and I sincerely hope that the leadership will learn and take a cue from these experiences that our solutions lie with us, and not so much with any imported assistance.

Environmental issues which comprise waste management, flooding and erosion have been a recurring factor in parts of the country. How have you been able to manage this and what key solutions and changes are paramount for improvement?
We had left issues of sanitation to other relevant professionals. My office recently started to incorporate waste management into our focal areas of support. The greatest culprit of environmental management is plastic. Plastic is trillions of dollars global business and plastic waste has become a global challenge aesthetically and healthwise both to humans and natural resources, and the only critical waste issues that is plaguing the world, Nigeria inclusive. Plastic menace is directly related to flooding and erosion. Where proper waste management is not in place, which is the case in many communities and urban centres in Nigeria, this has caused untold hardship to many including displacement of whole communities affecting the environment, health and socio-economic livelihood of people. Our strategy is to target and work with the youth and women and to provide alternatives to plastic more than looking for solutions to manage waste. The premise for this is that finding solutions to manage plastic waste is supporting the production of more plastics rather than seeking for alternatives that will reduce or eliminate the use of plastic. The youth are the leaders of tomorrow and thus their ability to take strategic decisions that will affect the future is paramount. Thus, we support efforts to create awareness and empower as many as are interested, challenging them to come up with innovative solutions to reduce or eliminate the use of plastics altogether. In addition to creating awareness amongst the women, we seek to empower them to manage plastic wastes while also challenging them to come up with innovative solutions to reduce the use of plastic.

We are currently supporting a couple of projects in line with the above explanations. One of the projects is an award-winning project that will replace plastic with leave plates and cups to eat. There is ongoing research on and efforts to turn the popular moinmoin leaf (Thomatococcusdanieli) to leaf plates and cups for food. This will address biodiversity and habitat loss, waste management, health and socio-economic lives of people. The project has attracted the attention of the National Council on Environment which had placed a three to five years ban on plastic use in Nigeria, hoping this will be backed by strong political will.

In another project, 400 youths in the FCT are currently being supported to come up with innovative solutions to plastic waste management and nine communities in FCT are being empowered as a pilot project to manage waste while improving on their alternative income generation efforts.

In your 30 years of experience in the environmental field, what have been your key learnings?
Environmental management is not a secluded profession but the business and concern of all. I am happy now that the world is giving the level of importance that environmental challenges require to it. I remember many years back when someone in the private sector told me that we are the people that are against development (laughs). I smiled because that statement gave me an understanding of the level of ignorance, and I saw it as a great responsibility to create awareness. I am too sure the person would have changed his mindset today. The challenge then was how to communicate what we know and envisaged to those who have different agenda or just profit making, no matter what ills that brings to the environment and the people.

From your work and experience, what reforms do you suggest for the environmental sector in Nigeria?
Environmental education must be part of the national school curriculum. This is not just to be taught but to be put into practice so that everyday decisions are taken based on the environmental knowledge each one has learnt. This will enhance how to manage the environment and the challenges that come with it. I have seen this work so brilliantly amongst school children and the youth. It gives a sense of worthiness, enhances interest in the study of agriculture, healthy living, serene environment, social cohesion, etc. Every government policy and programme must incorporate environmental issues and thus governance will be done based on informed knowledge of the environment and the challenges. Policy development must include the grassroots who are the custodians of the indigenous knowledge and can provide immense information of the management of the environment which can feed into policy development. Strong political will is required to achieve results with minimal stress. There must be a total incorporation of environmental and natural resource consideration into every business and economic decision and activity. For us to achieve sustainable natural resource exploitation and effective environmental management, there must be equity in terms of access to natural resources. Most important of these is land. Gender mainstreaming must go beyond the rhetoric to taking deliberate actions to ensure inclusion of the vulnerable groups in the society – women, youth and the physically challenged. This will go a long way to ensure ownership, sense of belonging and promote social cohesion, which can result in economic empowerment. The truth remains that women and other vulnerable groups still suffer exclusion when it comes to access to land and other natural resources, which greatly affects qualitative productivity, and sometimes results in conflicts and violence.

How can we get more women to become successful and rise to the top as you have done? What tips do you have for younger women?
Purpose drives vision. With purpose established, vision can be defined. You must have a vision based on the purpose of your existence and what you want to achieve. You must take responsibility for your life. Life will not give you what you desire or what you are entitled to but what you demand. Next to this is to weigh your desires, options and your capability. Determine what success is and how you can or will achieve it. Your values will come into play greatly because they will help you to separate the wheat from the chaff and to have a clear picture of your desired end.

Remember that what is chaff to you may be wheat to another. That is why you must analyse your values thoroughly. Depending on your faith, you will need to analyse your desire for success based on the demands of your faith, and to doggedly adhere to the tenets of your faith. Excellence, a pure motive and knowledge of what to do can deliver from any form of potential danger. Anyone striving for success must have these three.

Another statement that is very true is that no one becomes great by just doing what is required. You must seek to do or perform more than you are asked to do. Then you imprint your memory in the minds of those that you work or relate with. You must also be committed to your personal growth in all aspects of your life – spiritually, emotionally, physically and professionally.

What drives you for success?
The desire for relevance. I believe that anyone living and has no relevance is not fit to live. However, the desire for relevance must be guided by genuine purpose. My philosophy for life is that if the purpose of a thing is not known, abuse is inevitable. I feel successful whenever I fulfil the purpose of anything. So, be it relating with animate or inanimate objects, I strive to know the purpose and fulfilling the purpose is my ultimate goal. The simple way to achieve this for me is to seek to add value to anyone or anything I come across. That is success for me.

What do you hope to see Nigerian women do differently?
Agreed that gender disparity exists in many ways, but women must earn the praise and raise, rather than use pity or blackmail to get what they want. Though it may tarry because of the male chauvinistic society that we live in, there is no woman who knows her onions that will not be praised and or rewarded for her efforts, directly or indirectly. I find it difficult to separate my faith from my work. I have learnt from my faith that if any woman knows the power she wields, even with God, she will not be deterred by any distraction. This will affect her disposition, demeanour, relationships, performance and every area of her life and living. Every woman has what it takes to do valiantly, to change the world. The devil knows this and that is why it has always attacked the woman and womanhood. We must continue to think out of the box to ensure we emerge in the place of destiny.