By Cecilia Ogezi (Correspondent, Abuja)
An Abuja based non-government organization, Centre for Environmental Sustainability and Development Awareness (CESDA), has commenced the sensitization of residents in Nyanya community, a suburb of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), especially traders, motorists and pedestrians in its bid to rid the society of poor sanitation and hygiene practices currently witnessed in the community.
Executive Director, CESDA, Olushola Babalola, disclosed that the month-long intervention commenced on Monday, April 3, 2023 with a courtesy visit to the community leader, Nyanyi of Nyanya to brief the palace about the engagement.
Babalola pointed out that it would add to the gains recorded in the just concluded intervention supported by the British Council, European Union Agent for Citizens Transformation (ACT) Programme on "Promoting Good Sanitation and Hygiene Practices in the FCT Through Stakeholders Engagement, Advocacy and Sensitization in Public Places".
He disclosed that the Centre mobilized critical stakeholders in the environmental sanitation sector such as Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), Abuja Market Management Board Ltd, Satellite Town Development Department (STTD) and African Centre for Enterpreneurship and Information Development (ACEIDEV) to sensitize and clean up existing markets and motor parks in the community.
He added that the team has been able to sensitize major markets and parks within the environs including, Nyanya AMAC market, Neighborhood market, Baba Nagode Park, Nyanya Central Motor Park, Pantaker market, Keffi/Nyanya park amongst others while also ensuring distribution of refuse bags, nose masks and hand gloves to Pantaker market which was successfully cleaned up and refuse evacuated by the operatives of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) and Satellite Town Development Department (STDD) afterwards.
He also noted that the exercise will resume on Tuesday, April 25 with activation of mobile court to prosecute offenders while the clean up exercise continues. He however stressed that to effectively combat the menace of poor hygiene and sanitation practices, there is need for proper orientation among the populace, increase in government budgetary allocations to water sanitation and hygiene sector to shore up toilet facilities and proper waste management system as well as public private partnership to be able to effectively cater for toilet deficit in our communities. NNL.