Ogun State government has assured of proactive measures in the management of chemicals and wastes, towards an excellent environmental governance, as well as a sustainable oriented economy.
The state Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, made this known during the Second Chemical Handlers and Users workshop, a workshop organised by Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency (OGEPA), with the theme, "Circular Solutions For a Sustainable Economy", to educate handlers and users of chemicals on use and effective management, at Providence Events Centre, Abeokuta, saying conventional linear approaches and circular solutions would be deployed, while investor-friendly policies had been put in place for industries to thrive and to prevent hazards that industrial wastes might pose to residents.
Represented by his deputy, Engr. Noimot Salako-Oyedele, Governor Abiodun warned that, “Henceforth, every industry, individual or facility domiciled in the state, with the capacity to use and store chemicals are expected to submit inventory for monitoring, tracking, evaluation and waste management to the Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency (OGEPA)”.
He promised continued support to OGEPA in monitoring, enforcement, research and developing alternative uses of wastes, adding that government would encourage robust cooperation between the public and private sector, to ensure a framework for efficient environmental management.
Contributing, Minister of State for Environment, Dr. Iziaq Salako, noted that the theme of the workshop was apt, as the global community navigates through the challenges of chemicals utilisation and their harmful effects on people's health, proactive measures must be made to checkmate the environmental ills brought about by industrialisation.
“My Ministry has prioritised initiatives and programmes to promote circular management of wastes in our budgetary submission for the 2024 fiscal year. Ogun State, alongside other selected states of the federation would be witnessing more special intervention projects of the federal government, to promote waste to wealth and waste to energy this year”, he said.
The Minister urged people to maximise opportunities that sustainable chemicals and waste management have to offer to build a healthy population and economy, tasking all to adopt best practices that would ensure that production and use of chemicals have no adverse effects on human health and the environment.
Remarking, Head, Geo Circle Lafarge, Daniel Adedokun, said that it was high time we proffered a lasting solution to waste management, promising that government would continue to assiduously work to eradicate indiscriminate dumping of wastes.
Also speaking, General Manager, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), Dr. Tunde Ajayi, decried the menace of environmental degradation, pledging continued support to agencies working tirelessly to check environmental pollution and waste management.
Earlier, Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Ola Oresanya, noted that the workshop was a pointer to government’s commitment to environmental responsibility and sustainable practices, adding that it would address challenges posed by chemicals and wastes in our evolving landscape.
Dr. Oresanya explained that chemical wastes remain in the air, waterways, and land, thereby exerting hazardous effects on the citizens, revealing that OGEPA has the core mandate of ensuring that chemical wastes generated within and around the state is effectively managed, as well as prevent their improper handling, storage and disposal, to ensure a healthy and safe environment for all.
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