Lagos- An environment expert, Mr Oriyomi Ewulo, on Sunday urged governments at all levels to ensure use of local languages in waste management for easy communication for operators.
Ewulo made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
He said that messages conveyed to the populace should be in languages that would be appreciated and understood to embrace services rendered by the government.
“Part of the problem we face in the sustainability of waste management starts with the way we communicate to the people.
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“We are not using the language that reaches their heart.
“We should talk to their intellect and some of them can actually understand roughly; but we are not reaching their hearts because they are yet to appreciate the import of services being rendered to them.
“The authorities and high profile executives should ensure that the people are not cut off in communication by using languages they can easily understand.
“Any project to be embarked upon which may need community participation must be communicated in the language of the local people of the community,’’ he said.
The environmentalist also stressed the need for waste managers’ employers to ensure that workers were informed on the proper use of tools and machines to avoid contact with infected waste items.
“The workers should be communicated to in local languages to make sure they know what their job entails and the importance of using their work tools such as gloves, boots and uniforms to protect them from infections at the dumpsites,” he said. (NAN)