World Earth Day was celebrated on 22 April 2024. To mark the occasion, young people dedicated to the environmental cause carried out a clean-up operation in the Nigerian city of Lagos.
Around the world, public and private activities were organised on 22 April to mark Earth Day. In Nigeria, where insalubrity coexists with the populations of certain cities, the non-governmental organisation (NGO) Sustyvibes took action.
A clean-up operation mobilised volunteers in the streets and markets of the economic capital Lagos, which is internationally renowned for its business dynamism but also for its high population density (16 million inhabitants). These young people mainly collected household refuse and plastic waste, which undermine the attractiveness of urban areas and increase pollution.
“We don’t need to wait for days like Earth Day to become more aware of our environment. This planet is all we have, and if we don’t join hands to ensure a sustainable future, who else is going to do it for us?” asks Sonia Ugwunna, an environmental campaigner and interim project manager for SustyVibes.
This plea is particularly aimed at Nigeria, which is a major producer of all types of waste. The West African country generates 4.7 million tonnes of plastic waste a year (World Bank figures) and 16,900 tonnes of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This is what motivated the Nigerian start-up Quadloop to embark on the circular economy. In Lagos, the start-up recycles old computers and mobile phones into solar lanterns.
