UNICEF says it is partnering with the Enugu State government to rid the state of plastic pollution and other environmental hazards that cause climate change..
Mrs Juliet Chiluwe, UNICEF Chief of Field Office, Enugu, said this at a media engagement to mark the 2025, World Environment Day (WED) in Enugu with the theme: “Beat Plastic Pollution” .
She said that UNICEF believed that ridding the planet of plastic pollution was an important and critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on climate action.
“Also, sustainable production and consumption, protection of sea and oceans and repairing the ecosystems and retaining biodiversity, ” she said.
She noted that climate crisis was a child rights crisis hence UNICEF actively promotes climate resilience among young people by empowering them to take action, and engage leaders on policies.
“We achieve this through various initiatives, including social media engagements, offline campaigns, NYSC learning, U- report and United Nations Youth climate summit, ” she said.
Mrs Bolatito Gabriel, UNICEF Wash Specialist, Enugu Office, said UNICEF collaborated with governments, civil society organizations and youth associations to ensuring young people’s participation in climate policy dialogue and action.
She also said that UNICEF addressed vulnerabilities by focusing on the protection of the rights of children, especially those most vulnerable to climate change.
“It is worthy to acknowledge that over 3068 youths have been mobilised and supported to take climate actions.
“Such actions are climate education and awareness collection and recycling of 1043kg of plastic waste and planting of 419 trees in Enugu and Cross River States of Nigeria, ” she said.
Speaking, Mr Nnamdi Arum, who represented the Enugu State Commissioner for Environment, Prof. Sam Ugwu said that the Ministry was doing a lot to ensuring that Enugu remained green.
He said since the assumption of office by Gov. Peter Mbah all efforts were being made including the passage of the climate change policy law in March 2024.
According to him, these were aimed at ensuring that the state is environmentally friendly.
Arum, who is in charge of climate change in the ministry said that the state was planning a recycling module to dealing with the issue of plastic pollution.
“As part of the world environment day, we are going to plant 27,000 moringa trees at the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) today.
“This is part of efforts to tackle climate change in the state, ” Arum said.
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