Kingsley Okon| Kehinde Adedeji
The Basel Convention Coordinating Centre for the African Region (BCCC-Africa) has successfully concluded its 24-month plastic waste management project, themed “Accelerating Community Awareness of Plastic Waste Through Intervention with Students and Graduates of Tertiary Institutions in Ibadan, Nigeria,” with a closing workshop held at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan.
The project was initiated to enhance public awareness and promote sustainable plastic waste management practices through active youth engagement. It specifically targeted students, graduates, and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members across selected institutions in Oyo State, equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and advocacy tools needed to drive environmental sustainability within their communities.
Delivering goodwill messages at the event were representatives of the Oyo State Ministry of Environment, the University of Ibadan, The Polytechnic, Ibadan, and the Oyo State NYSC Secretariat. The speakers commended BCCC-Africa for its commitment to environmental education and community engagement, noting that the initiative had significantly increased environmental consciousness among young people while encouraging responsible waste management practices.
Participants at the workshop were also exposed to effective communication strategies for promoting behavioural change, environmental advocacy, and community participation in tackling plastic pollution.
Presenting the project's achievements, BCCC-Africa disclosed that a total of 1,346 participants were trained and empowered as environmental ambassadors, surpassing the initial target of 1,300 beneficiaries. The beneficiaries comprised 518 participants from the University of Ibadan, 509 from The Polytechnic, Ibadan, and 319 from the Oyo State NYSC Secretariat.
The project also recorded the successful organisation of nine capacity-building workshops, with three workshops conducted in each of the participating institutions. These workshops focused on plastic waste reduction, environmental stewardship, recycling practices, and public awareness campaigns.
One of the major highlights of the closing ceremony was the recognition of outstanding participants for their contributions to the plastic waste awareness campaign. Notably, the three best slogans selected during the campaign were developed by students of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, reflecting their creativity, innovation, and commitment to environmental advocacy.
Speaking at the event, project coordinators expressed satisfaction with the impact of the initiative and reaffirmed BCCC-Africa's commitment to sustaining engagement with participants through follow-up activities, seminars, mentorship programmes, and additional training opportunities. Beneficiaries were also encouraged to continue serving as environmental ambassadors and to actively promote responsible waste management practices within their respective communities.
The successful completion of the project represents another significant milestone in BCCC-Africa's ongoing efforts to combat plastic pollution and promote environmental protection, public health, and sustainable development across Africa through education, advocacy, and community-driven action.