Lagos – Mr Alex Ahigbe, Coordinator, Clean-up Nigeria Project, on Wednesday said 500 volunteers had been put together to clean the Papa Ajao area of Mushin, Lagos, to commemorate World Earth Day on Friday.
Ahigbe told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the group would carry out the cleaning in collaboration with Passion House, First Sights, RecyclePoints and IBA Foundation.
He cited other partners in the clean-up arrangement as TransClean Foundation, CSR-in-Action (Good Citizen Project) and LAWMA.
Ahigbe said that 500 volunteers would clean-up 40 streets in the Papa Ajao axis as a way of giving back to society.
“The event will create a platform for people to give back to the community as their personal and social responsibility toward keeping the environment clean and green.
“We will also be working toward the celebration of the Earth Day, which is about protecting the environment.
“It is celebrated by engaging in activities that promote good human behaviour that protects the environment, such as tree planting activities.
“Earth Day is an annual event, celebrated on April 22 worldwide, to demonstrate support for environmental protection.
“It was first celebrated in 1970; and is now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network, and celebrated in more than 193 countries each year,’’ Ahigbe said.
He said that Cleanup Papa Ajao would feature free health screening, free mosquito nets and free malaria drugs.
“Passion House strongly believes in saving the environment.
“It is on this note, that she embarks on environmental sustainability projects in communities; engaging volunteers to commit their time toward keeping the environment clean.
“Spreading awareness about environmental sustainability is imperative.
“Learning about the environment’s declining health can be really depressing, but what keeps us fighting for a healthy world is the future of our children, which depends on our present decision.
“They should not have to inherit our environmental problems,” he said. (NAN)