– As Gov Aiyedatiwa inaugurates 65 school clubs, deploys 120 waste skips, two compactor trucks
By Tolulope Eniola
Ondo State Governor, Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, has unveiled a series of environmental reforms, including the deployment of new waste management equipment, expansion of private sector participation and establishment of 65 environmental clubs in secondary and tertiary institutions across the state.
The initiatives, unveiled on Wednesday at the Dr Olusegun Mimiko International Centre for Culture and Events (The Dome), Akure, are aimed at strengthening environmental protection, improving sanitation and preparing young people to tackle emerging ecological challenges.
According to the governor, under the reforms, the government has deployed 120 waste skips and two modern side-loader compactor trucks, while increasing the number of private waste operators from 19 to 51 to improve waste collection and disposal across the state.
Governor Aiyedatiwa also announced the commencement of the formulation of the Ondo State Climate Change and Circular Economy Policy, revival of monthly environmental sanitation, restoration of the State Environmental Task Force after an 18-month hiatus and a comprehensive review of the state’s environmental laws.
He noted that the 65 Renewed Hope Environment Clubs, established in selected secondary schools and tertiary institutions, are being implemented under the Renewed Hope Initiative of the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
Speaking at the launch, the governor described environmental sustainability as essential to the state’s development, warning that natural resource degradation and indiscriminate waste disposal posed serious threats to public health, agriculture, livelihoods and future generations.
“Our forests, rivers, wetlands, farmlands, coastlines and urban settlements are more than geographical features. They are the foundations of our livelihoods, the sources of our food and water, the custodians of our biodiversity and the natural assets upon which our development depends,” he said.
He said his administration had strengthened collaboration with the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and Food and Beverages Recycling Alliance (FBRA) to improve environmental monitoring and technical capacity.
The governor cited the response to the Akure odour nuisance incident as an example of the importance of timely, evidence-based and coordinated action.
He explained that the clubs would engage students in tree planting, waste sorting, recycling, sanitation, water conservation and peer education, with activities integrated into school programmes and extended to surrounding communities.
Situating the initiative within his administration’s OUR EASE Developmental Agenda, Governor Aiyedatiwa said economic growth must not come at the expense of environmental protection.
“We cannot develop our cities while allowing indiscriminate waste disposal to undermine public health. We cannot achieve success in our agricultural policies and programmes while permitting continued degradation of our soils and water resources. We cannot attract investment without ensuring responsible environmental management,” he said.
He described environmental protection as an economic opportunity, noting that waste recovery, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy and environmental services could generate employment, entrepreneurship and innovation.
The governor charged students to become environmental ambassadors and urged teachers, parents, traditional rulers and community leaders to promote responsible environmental practices. He also called on development partners and the private sector to provide technical support and collaborate with the state.
He thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the First Lady and the Minister of Environment for their support before formally declaring the clubs launched.
In her address, the wife of the governor, Mrs Esther Aiyedatiwa, urged students to take responsibility for protecting the state’s natural resources, describing the initiative as an investment in sustainable communities and the future of young people.
She identified flooding, coastal erosion, deforestation, plastic pollution, indiscriminate waste disposal and water contamination, aggravated by climate change, as major threats to livelihoods, public health and biodiversity.
She said the clubs would promote biodiversity conservation, tree planting, proper waste management, water conservation and the protection of natural resources.
Mrs Aiyedatiwa cautioned against reducing the clubs to mere school associations, insisting that they must serve as active platforms for learning, innovation and community engagement.
She commended Senator Oluremi Tinubu for championing the Renewed Hope Initiative and Governor Aiyedatiwa for extending governance beyond infrastructure to environmental protection and public health.
Also speaking, the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, represented by the Assistant Director, Pollution Control and Environmental Health Department, Federal Ministry of Environment, Mr Dangiwa Ewa Oruwe, endorsed the initiative.
He said the programme aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda and would equip students with practical knowledge of waste management, recycling, tree planting, biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation and pollution prevention.
Identifying climate change, deforestation, flooding, land degradation and improper waste management as major environmental challenges, he urged the state ministries of Environment and Education, school administrators and other stakeholders to ensure the clubs’ sustainability.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Environment, Dr Tob Loko, said the initiative, implemented in collaboration with the Office of the First Lady, was designed to take environmental education beyond textbooks and examinations to practical engagement in schools and communities.
He said the clubs would promote waste sorting, tree planting and protection, improved sanitation and campaigns against environmental pollution.
Describing students as central to the initiative, Loko said environmentally responsible classrooms could influence entire schools, while responsible schools could transform their communities.
He pledged the ministry’s collaboration with the Office of the First Lady, local governments, educational institutions, parents and other stakeholders to achieve the programme’s objectives.
In his goodwill message, the Chairman of the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC), Prince Biyi Poroye, pledged the commission’s support for the governor’s environmental agenda.
Recalling that Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s administration planted teak trees which successive generations harvested without replacing, Poroye called for renewed commitment to tree planting and environmental cleanliness.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Ondo State Waste Management Board, Mrs Yinka Alabi, said environmental sanitation should be treated as a personal responsibility rather than left to government.
Recalling that environmental education was previously part of school activities, she urged residents to revive the culture of keeping their surroundings clean and work collectively towards healthier communities.
Alabi said residents should not wait for government officials to direct them before maintaining clean surroundings, adding that collective action would earn the state global recognition.
In another goodwill message, environmental activist, Miss Motunrayo Oyedele, called for greater adoption of environmentally friendly practices, highlighting afforestation, reforestation, energy conservation and regular sanitation under the Green City Initiative.
She urged residents to switch off electrical appliances when leaving their homes and make environmental cleanliness a daily habit rather than restrict it to the last Saturday of every month.
Environmental and safety kits were distributed to participating schools to equip students with the necessary materials for promoting environmental cleanliness, safety awareness and responsible waste management within their school communities.
Those in attendance included the Deputy Governor, Dr Olayide Adelami; Chief of Staff, Prince Segun Omojuwa; Head of Service, Chief Segun Odusanya; members of the State Executive Council; State Coordinator of Renewed Hope Ambassadors, Rt Hon Victor Olabimtan; Director-General, OSRC Media Group, Mr Kenneth Odusola-Stevenson; students from various schools across the state and other top government functionaries.
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