World Environmental Day: HoHow Nigeria Celebrates it?By Lawal Yakubu Gada The
World Environmental Day, commemorated on 5th June of every
year was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972 to
mark the opening of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment.
Another resolution, adopted by the General Assembly the same day, led to
the creation of the world’s apex environmental organization, the
United Nation Environmental Program (UNEP) whose headquarters is in
Nairobi Kenya. Across the globe, World Environmental Day is being celebrated in many ways. These includes: street rallies, bicycles parades, green concerts, Quiz/essay and poster competitions in schools, tree planting campaigns, recycling efforts, clean-up and sanitation campaigns, seminars/conferences/lectures and workshops and above all, this annual event is used to enhance political attention and action. Heads of states, Prime Ministers, Ministers of Environment, and other political and non-political leaders deliver statements and commit themselves to care for the Earth. More serious pledges are made which lead to the establishment of permanent governmental and non-governmental structures dealing with environmental management and economic planning. It also gives nations of the world the opportunity to sign or ratify their commitments to international environmental conventions like the Rio de Janeiro declaration on the Environment and development of 1992 (Agenda 21). On World Environmental Day, people examines the state of our environment and try to consider carefully the actions which each of us must take, and then address ourselves to our common task of preserving all life on earth through environmental friendly practices. The main international celebration of the World Environment Day 2004 is being held in Barcelona, Spain. Here
in Nigeria, how is this unique day especially for the environmentalist
being celebrated? In earnests, a-four-day
Environmental stakeholder Forum organised by the Minister of
Environment, (Rtd) Col. Bala Mande had already been held Port Harcourt
between the 25th-28th
of last month.
Although not exactly on World Environmental Day, the forum almost
coincides with the celebrations of the Day. During the forum, the
Federal Ministry of Environment was able to bring together over 250
stakeholders as part of efforts to secure a safe and quality environment
adequate for good health and general well-being of Nigeria, besides, the
forum also aimed at raising public awareness and promoting understanding
of essential linkages between the environment and general development in
such a way that we can have what is called “sustainable development”.
Other aim of the Port Harcourt Environmental forum was to encourage
individual and community participation and commitment in efforts towards
improvement of the environment. Some of these efforts include but not
limited to proper house keeping and Environmental Sanitation at the
individual level as well as reduction, recycling and proper disposal or
management of waste at community and corporate levels. Some
of the participants at the forum were representatives from the 36 states
of the federation, some representatives of the United Nation Agencies,
the Academia, relevant government ministries and parastatals,
Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Community Based Organisations (CBOs),
and Professional Associations among others. Among
the dignitries that graced the Port Harcourt occasion (some through
representation) are: Dr. Klaus Toepfer, the executive director of the
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Dr. Tegegnework Gettus, the
country representative of United Nation Development Programme (UNDP),
Dr. I. Martyns-Yellowe, Senate committee on environment and ecology,
Hon. Emeka Atuma, Hon. (Rev.) Musa Labar Wuyep, the chairman on House
Committee on Habitat. In
similar vain, a symposium tagged, "the seas and oceans: towards a
sustainable heritage," organised by a non governmental organisation,
the foundation for environmental development and education in Nigeria,
FEDEN was held on Wednesday June 2, 2004 as part of the association’s
activities to mark this year’s World Environment Day. The
symposium, according to a statement signed by the director of the
association and the leadership for environment and development (LEAD),
Professor Adeniyi Osuntogun has a theme that is in line with the global
theme for world environment day. "wanted! Seas and oceans-dead or
Alive." Professor
Osuntogun said the symposium which was held at the Auditorium of the
Chick Afrique House, 3, Thorburn Avenue, Sabo, Yaba, Lagos is part of
FEDEN’s environmental awareness and education activities and also a
fulfilment of the United National’s General Association Resolution
2997 of 1992. The
UN General Association Resolution, encourages governments and
organisations worldwide to undertake annual activities to reaffirm
commitment to the preservation and enhancement of the environment for
present and future generations. The
symposium was said to have been witnessed by panelists like an
environmentalist and a marine biologist at the Lagos university,
Professor Kola Kusemiju, Mr. Larry Awosika, a marine geologist of
international repute and other authorities and experts in the areas of
environmental sustainability, marine biology, oceanography and marine
resources management. At
states and local governments levels, the occasion is being celebrated in
different passion. Where as
some states celebrates theirs in a low kid manner, some states are
staging different kinds of environmental campaigns like rallies,
exhibitions, seminar and workshops. At
organizational levels, companies like NNPC and other Oil and Gas
production and servicing companies like, Shell, Chevron, Mobil,
Schlumberger, Halliburtan, etc. celebrates and expresses their concern
for the environment not precisely on the 5th June date but
through a complete week tagged “Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE)
Week”. However, we wish to seize this opportunity to advise these
companies and organization to try and look into the possibilities
scheduling their respective HSE weeks to coincide with 5th
June of every year so that it could be regarded as directly in support
of the world crusade for the protection and preservation of our global
environment. In
conclusion, we at ANFE (African Network for Friends of the Environment)
are celebrating the day through this kind of environmental awareness
campaign and our overall aim is to encourage friendly attitudes towards
the environment. Our organization has realized the inter-disciplinary
nature of the environment and wish to identify and reward all those that
are working towards the betterment and improvement of our mother earth. Lawal Y. Gada is the President of African Network for Friends of the Environment (ANFE), 12 Charity Lane, off Biaji Road, Kubwa-Abuja. |