The Kaduna State Government, in collaboration with the Agro Climatic Resilience in Semi Arid Landscape (ACRESAL) Project, marked this year's National Environmental Sanitation Day with a series of activities aimed at promoting hygiene and preventing communicable diseases.
The event, organized by the State Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, included a sensitization road-walk and a clean-up exercise. The Federal Government has designated June 28th as National Environmental Sanitation Day to raise awareness about the importance of proper hygiene practices.
The road-walk, led by Deputy Governor Dr. Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe, commenced at the state Secretariat and proceeded to Yakubu Gowon Way, ending at the Central Market in Kaduna. Speaking at the event, Dr. Balarabe emphasized the critical need for environmental sanitation, particularly in light of the ongoing threats of floods and disease outbreaks.
"We must all embrace environmental sanitation to protect ourselves and our communities from the dangers posed by poor hygiene and waste management," Dr. Balarabe stated.
She said the day is dedicated to creating awareness, noting, “It is also meant to promote the culture of effective sanitation and hygiene practices among citizens, with a view to curtailing the scourge of preventable communicable diseases such as Malaria, Cholera, Lassa Fever, and Yellow Fever, among others.
Dr. Hadiza urged Kaduna residents in the state to imbibe good personal and environmental hygiene to have a clean state.
The State Commissioner of Environment, Alhaji Abubakar Buba, announced that the state government would soon launch a house-to-house refuse collection initiative to further ensure environmental cleanliness.
"The government is committed to maintaining a clean and healthy environment for all residents of Kaduna State," Alhaji Buba said.
“We call on everybody to be a part of what we are doing to ensure that their immediate are environment are clean, to ensure that no body in their vicinity also dump wastes that is not supposed to be dropped and again to park their wastes properly and to engage their waste managers, as they say health is wealth.”
Buba who commended World Bank for its ACReSAL project support and partnership with Kaduna State, stressed that the partnership with the World Bank would foster environmental sustainability and agricultural prosperity for residents of the state under the project.
The Project Coordinator for ACRESAL, Malam Jibril Dahiru Rufa'i, highlighted the importance of proper waste management practices in a remark.
"Proper waste management is essential for building resilience against environmental challenges, especially in semi-arid regions like ours," Malam Rufa'i noted.
According to him, part of the goals of the ACReSAL project is to restore the lost trees through afforestation and other climate change adaptation activities.
“We will do all that is possible for ACReSAL project to be sustained, maintained, and achieved, Malam Rufa'i stated.
The event's highlight was a demonstration of environmental clean-up activities by the Deputy Governor and other senior government officials, showcasing their dedication to maintaining a clean and healthy environment in Kaduna State.
The Deputy Governor, accompanied by top government officials, actively participated in the clean-up exercise, setting a positive example for the community.
They cleared trash and demonstrated proper waste disposal techniques, emphasizing the importance of individual responsibility in maintaining a clean environment.
The event also sent a strong message to the public, encouraging citizens to take ownership of their surroundings and contribute to the state's environmental cleanliness.
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