Flooding:  Government Warns Nigerians Against Indiscriminate Waste Dumping

The Nigerian government has warned citizens to avoid indiscriminate garbage disposal and to promote good sanitary practices in order to halt catastrophic floods.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) recently issued a warning that heavy rainfall in 14 states and 31 towns around the country might cause floods between July 4 and 8.

The Ministry of Environment has also vowed to start sensitizing people of the federal capital territory (FCT) about the need to stop indiscriminate rubbish dumping right now.

Mallam Ibrahim Yusufu, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, made the discovery during a news conference in Abuja to mark this year’s national environmental sanitation day.

Yusufu, who blamed the recent flood in areas of the capital city on a lack of awareness about sustainable environmental practices, said something dramatic needed to be done immediately to stop flooding during this rainy season.

He also said it has become necessary to improve access to clean water and hygiene among the people while noting that government would provide functional facilities for the management of both hazardous and non-hazardous waste.

He said the theme for this year’s National Environmental Sanitation Day which is “Promoting Sustainable Waste Management for a Healthy Environment: Stop Open Dumping”, was apt and timely, as underscores the necessity for sound structures to be put in place for containment, collection, treatment, reuse/recycle and final disposal of all waste types solid, liquid and gaseous, thereby ensuring proper waste management and ending open dumping.

He explained that the National Environmental Sanitation Day Commemoration was established to institutionalize sound environmental sanitation practices as a lifestyle amongst the populace through massive awareness creation and reward for innovative best practices in environmental sanitation.

He said: “The Federal Ministry of Environment in collaboration with key stakeholders has been celebrating the NESD since its declaration by Mr. President in 2005 to date and it has promoted behavioural change in sanitation and hygiene practices among the citizenry.

He insisted that the provision of safe, functional sanitary facilities and services in all premises for the management of waste materials both hazardous and non-hazardous was necessary for sustainable waste management; noting that “this will go a long way in ensuring a high level of behavioural change with respect to SDGs 3, 6, and 7 on good health and well-being, access to clean water and sanitation as well as safe management of the environment.”