UNDP, Digital Peers want Nigerian youths to embrace ICT based plastic management solutions

A cluster of dynamic Nigerian youths , on Wednesday, converged in Abuja at the kick-off of the GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP) of the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) in collaboration with Digital Peers International to seek positive actions on ICT-based plastic management solutions.
The two-day event will also afford the youths the opportunity to take positive actions on plastic management for better tomorrow.
The programme, tagged, “Deploying the Power of IT-Engaged Youths in Effective Plastic Use and Waste Management” for the FCT and environs witnessed the attendance of a teaming number of enthusiastic youths with sincere concern to the issues of bad waste management and plastic waste disposal in the FCT, showing willingness to proffer valuable solutions, as well as great interests to learn from their peers.

In her welcome address, the Chief Executive Officer of Digital Peers International, Mrs. Ibukun Odusote, lamented the tragic situation where equivalents of one garbage truck’s worth of plastic are dumped into our oceans by the minute.

She said, “Plastic is also piling up in landfills and entering our food chain. Micro-plastics have now been found in human blood, raising our risk of cancer and developmental disorders. We are poisoning ourselves and the planet”.

While emphasizing that participants will be taken through lectures to help them develop  effective, efficient and unique solutions that will tackle plastic, both at source and as well as at post-consumption levels within the FCT and its environs.

Odusote also applauded the efforts, in gratitude of the UNDP GEF Small Grant Funding, other partners, media houses as well as the participant for making a success story of this national campaign in achieving its goal, aims and objectives, believing we can make an impact as soon as possible, receiving backing at the highest levels, to make that happen.

Other speakers at the event included the Managing Director of Digital Peers International, Engr. Adeolu Odusote, who gave the participants a feel of what is to be expected and will be happening in the course of the programme in the next few days, leading to weeks, and streaming into the next month, ensuring that the programme would gets its intended results as well as outstanding performance from the participants.

Mrs. Ronke Olubamise, A representative of the Global Environment Facilities (GEF), Mrs Ronke Olubamise, further enlightened the participant on what the organization stands for, as well as its reasons for supporting the program through its Small Grant Program (SGP) as the largest organization funding environmental related project all over the world .

The caption:
L-R: UNDP representative,  Mrs Ronke Olubanise; Country Director, Small Grant Programme (SGP) Engr Adeolu Odusote ; Waste management and environmental Analyst, Mrs Aanu Israel;  and Chief Executive officer, SGP,  Mrs Ibukun Odusote during a training programme on deploying the power of IT -engaged youths in Effective use and plastic  waste management, in Abuja … on Wednesday

She further commended the management of Digital Peers International for coming up with such profound initiative, promising to advocate for the programme upon the discovery of very outstanding environmental talents, finally admonishing the participants to put in their very best with top notch performance through out the contest.

The youths were further advised to think out-side the box, as they were assured that the fundamental solutions that are reached through the programme will also be replicated at the national level nationwide.