The U.S. embassy in Lagos and the African Clean-up Initiative (ACI), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), on Wednesday collaborated to clean-up Victoria Island to maintain its clean status.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the quarterly event organised by the U.S. mission’s office was to sensitise residents of the area, especially foreign missions, on the need to maintain a healthy environment.
The Consul-General, Mrs Claire Pierangelo, who led staffs of the mission on the clean-up exercise said that the mission had the policy to maintain cleanliness.
Pierangelo, who was elated by the turnout of volunteers that ACI to aid the cleaning of the environment, said that Nigerian youths could achieve a clean environment in the country if mobilised.
“We are partnering with you to ensure that we make a difference in the clean-up programme of the mission.
“The important thing is for us to achieve the desired target of a clean and habitable place,’’ she said.
The Director of ACI, Mr Alex Akingbe, said that since the inception of the organisation in 2010, it had been on the vanguard for a clean environment.
“Our partnership with the U.S. mission is to pass a message of unity of purpose to other organisation and foreign missions that there is a need to collaborate to ensure a good environment.
“Government alone cannot give us a clean environment; we are contending with the issue of plastics wastes and waste recycling to reduce wastes that cause environmental pollution.
“With good relationship as being witnessed today, good solutions on wealth management can crop-up,’’ Akingbe said.
According to him, the missions were being locked up to assist in recycling technology and facilities that will result in job creation for youths.
NAN reports that the volunteers, numbering over 200 with round V/Island, picked wastes and separated the recyclable plastics from the others for the U.S. mission’s plastics recycling unit.
After removing the plastic wastes, other wastes are kept for state waste managers for proper disposal.
The mission issued a certificate of participation to participants for their missionary and community service (NAN)