The Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) has unveiled an environmental project tagged ‘Eko Clean Air’, with the distribution of eco-friendly materials for residents of Itedo Community in Eti-Osa Local Government area of the State.
The eco-friendly materials distributed to the community members during the official kick-off ceremony of ‘Eko Clean Air,’ over the weekend, included 500 cooking gas stoves with content, 400 water bottles, 400 rechargeable lights and 400 re-usable bags.
The event, which took place within the Community, also witnessed the unveiling of a community borehole and exchange of pet bottles, abandoned electrical appliances, used mechanical oil, among others for cash rewards.
The Commissioner, Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tunji Bello, while unveiling the project, stated that it will be replicated across all the Local Government Areas of the State in other to improve the quality of air in the State.
He explained that the campaign was part of the THEMES Agenda of this administration, under the Health and Environment Pillar, with the objective of reducing health inequality and promoting proper handling and management of waste.
This, according to him, was to encourage healthy lifestyle, create source of income for a lot of people and also maintain a better and sustainable environment.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental services, Dr. Tajudeen Gaji, the Commissioner commended the agency for its proactive approach towards environmental protection and further described the partners as “eco-friendly organisations who are conscious of the environment and the health of Lagosians.”
The General Manager of LASEPA, Dr. Dolapo Fasawe, described the process of exchanging trash for cash as seamless, and which includes the collection of wastes at various designated points for accredited type of waste such as pet bottles and used electronics.
She enlightened the community members of Itedo on the dangers of non-degradable plastics and uncoordinated waste oil disposal, stressing that the ‘wastes’, if properly handled, can be exchanged for cash and also recycled into other usable items.
“We considered it necessary at LASEPA to bring this message of Eko Clean Air to this community, following a research carried out within this area. We want the people of Lagos to know that there is nothing called waste, because what is considered as waste is someone’s else’s treasured raw materials,” Fasawe said..
The LASEPA GM also noted that another assessment of the air quality of the community would be conducted in the next four weeks to ascertain the impact of the eco-friendly materials distributed to the residents so as to re-measure and compare with the initial result in other to determine the compliance of the residents to the friendly measures introduced.