Nigeria: FG Begins Campaign Against Slums.

This Day (Lagos)

29 June 2007
Posted to the web 29 June 2007

Onyebuchi Ezigbo
Abuja

The Federal Government has begun a nationwide environmental sanitation awareness campaign to rid major cities of slums and refuse heaps.

The campaign, tagged "Operation Keep Nigeria Clean," is aimed at building positive attitudes and sensitising state and local governments, as well as other relevant stakeholders to be alive to their responsibilities of maintaining clean, safe and healthy environment.


Speaking at an event to mark this year's National Environ-mental Sanitation Day in Abuja, Director-General, National Orientation Agency, Alhaji Idi Faruk, said as part of the second phase of the project which began a forthnight ago, government has concluded arrangements to implement the project at zonal levels in Kano (North West), Aba (South East), Port Harcourt (South -South), Lagos (South West) and Maiduguri (North East).

"The target is to instill in Nigerians a new form of orientation that would ensure higher standards of cleanliness both at individual, household and community levels," he said.

adding that the idea behind the new initiative is to raise national consciousness on the importance of a clean, safe, beautiful and healthy environment, to enhance attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Relevant Links

West Africa
Nigeria
Urban Issues and Habitation
Water and Sanitation.
Faruk lamented dearth of sanitary inspection, adding that Nigeria requires 17,500 Environmental Health Officers for effective coverage, as against 3,821 that are available.

In addition to ensuring immediate evacuation of refuse dumps, resuscitation and enforcement of relevant local government bye laws on sanitation, Faruk said the Agency will seek a coordinated synergy between all stakeholders in tackling the problem.

Director-General, Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, who witnessed the flag-off in Kubwa, a satelite town of Abuja, said the filthy environment associated with most cities, is as a result of gross inaction on the part of local council authorities.

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