African Clean Up Initiative organises Keep Surulere Clean Project on Saturday 31st March 2018. Thanks to @CleanerLagosInitiative @LetsDoItNigeria @Rg13Ltd @VisionScape @

Saturday October 5, 2019, one of the biggest civic action against waste will be taking place across different local communities in Nigeria as we celebrate Nigeria’s 59th Independence. This project will be staged simultaneously across 59 communities this year because Nigeria will be clocking 59 by October 1st with support from ACT Foundation, Kaduna State Environmental Protection Authority, Lagos Waste Management Authority, Development Association for Renewable Energy, and others.

Green Independence Clean Up is an annual project that is powered by African Clean-up Initiative. This is to take advantage of the Nigeria Independence Celebration to bring about a national awakening of the country’s consciousness to her environmental challenges, promote patriotic volunteerism to cleanliness and joint nation building through her national clean up and sensitization project.

Green Independence Clean Up project offers a platform to mobilize Nigerians — civil servants, government officials, environmental enthusiast, corporate organisations, non-governmental organisation and others across 59 communities (this is because Nigeria will be clocking 59 years) in Nigeria for a community led total environmental sanitation and sensitization project in honour of the country’s 59th anniversary. The GIC project is hinged on the following exercises: Sanitation exercise, Recycling challenge, Sensitization/Advocacy and, Green rally.

The project is to promote national environmental sensitization and awareness, and community led total sanitation for healthy living and environmental sustainability as well as compel Nigerians to take personal responsibility towards ensuring the environment is clean.

Alexander Akhigbe, Chief Environmental Officer, African Clean Up Initiative (ACI) noted that: “Aside celebrating Nigeria at 59, this project is a good platform to bring about a national awakening of the country’s consciousness to her environmental challenges. The commitment and zeal shown by these GIC Team Leads towards staging the GIC project in their states is a proof that Nigeria can rise above her challenges if only they can do things in unity and love. Nigeria will definitely be great”

“With this great national clean up and sensitization project, GREEN INDEPENDENCE CLEANUP (GIC), we will collectively be making a bold statement that unity is the wheel of progress and social impact for any country.

This exercise is designed to arouse a patriotic spirit towards addressing our environmental challenges, encourage the act of environmental volunteerism and promote good environmental practices amongst Nigerians. The criteria that was used to select the Team Leaders across different locations is based on the ability of the individual or organisation to commit his/her time, energy or resources to achieve this humanitarian project and, have the capacity to mobilize and execute any of the determined / chosen exercises to mark the day.

GIC Team Leads that scaled through will be staging the GIC project in the following states: Lagos, Bauchi, Oyo, Rivers, Osun, FCT, Ogun, Benue, Ogun, Kaduna, Anambra, Delta and Cross River. And other states.

For further enquiry, please reach out to info.acinigeria@gmail.com or 08033340972, 07069651263.

Lagos, Nigeria – April 4, 2018: From 7am on Saturday, the 31st of March 2018 at Ojuelegba Under the Bridge in Surulere Local Government, 102 enthusiastic environmental volunteers gathered for the sanitation project, ‘Keep Sururlere Clean’.

Powered by ACI Volunteers in Sururele Local Government (ACI Surulere Green Tribe) the Project, ‘Keep Surulere Clean’ was greatly supported by the head office, African Clean Up Initiative (ACI), Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI) and the Surulere Local Government,

Meeting at the muster point of Ojuelegba Under the Bridge for registration, press briefing, sensitization talk, photos and networking, the presence of Hon. Desmond Elliot, Member, Lagos State House of Assembly, Surulere 1 Constituency; Hon. Oladipo Anthony Afolabi (Former) Supervisory Concillor for Health, Surulere Local Government and Mr. Obikoya Isaac Babtunde, Ass. Director Environmental Health, Surulere Local Government was very encouraging. Coupled with the support of the following organisations: RecyclePoints, Ynaija, News Agency of Nigeria, RG13Ltd, Thumbs UP Initiative, Surulere Boys Scout, Let’s Do It Nigeria, JCI Eko, AJC Nursery & Primary School, Okota and the entire ACI volunteers.

The volunteers were grouped into two to focus on the clean-up of the following streets in Ojuelegba – Clegg and Nathan. While the volunteers worked, some distributed questionnaires to residents to determine their opinion about the clean up exercise and the impact of VisionScape and Cleaner Lagos Initiative. The analysis can be found on the #KeepSurulereClean Project Report. Meanwhile, the overall opinions was the appreciation for clean up exercises at community levels, the need to position more bins and prompt evacuation of waste as well as sensitization of residents to support the effort of Visionscape and Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI).

Speaking to ACI Channel, the CEO, ACI, Mr. Alex Akhigbe noted that his fulfillment comes from seeing volunteers gather for sanitation exercises knowing they will not be paid. And Omoh Alokwe, the Team Lead, ACI Surulere Green Tribe expressed that organizing this exercise with her team brought out her leadership prowess and confirmed her passion for the environment.

Here are what some of the participants had to say for joining the exercise #KeepSurulereClean and for the brand called ACI:

My participation at clean-up exercises stems from others seeing my actions are motivated to do more for their environment- Mazi Ukonu, CEO, RecyclePoints

In Scout, we preach alot about keeping good hygiene and personal cleanliness. Also we have what we call ‘Good Turn’ where we visit leaders within communities to help in keeping the environment clean and we collect no money in return – Thomas Folorunsho Olushola, District Scout Commissioner, Surulere

The idea behind PICK THAT TRASH is embedded in our vision for a clean environment. We use opportunity of clean up exercises as this to sensitize people for us to live in a healthier environment – Ibrahim Kassim, Rep. Pick That Trash

#KeepSurulereClean is a good initative and more of this should be done. Thanks to Cleaner Lagos Initiative and VisionScape for their remarkable support – Seun Makanjuola, CEO, Gidiguide and ACI Volunteer

We joined to advocate for a waste free environment and to mobilize people for the World Clean Up Day on September 15, 2018 – Gafar Olurunleke Odubote, PR & Marketing, Let’s Do It Nigeria

We participated to make a condusive environment for everyone and to save the environment from deterioration. More so, CLI is about the environment. Keeping it clean is our primary responsibility and being part of events as this is part of our Corporate Social Responsibility – Gloria Adaba, ThumbsUp Initiative

#KeepSurulereClean is a good idea and I love the organisation, ACI. When we talk about the environment, it involves everybody. Refuse is a problem in a mega city like Lagos. And all of us have to be involved to salvage environmental disaster. We need to change the attitude of our residents disposing their waste in drainages and open spaces. I am expecting more private participation and more NGOs in joining you as the aim of your organisation is for the betterment of the human race – Obikoya Isaac Babatunde, Ass. Director, Environmental Health, Surulere Local Government

#KeepSurulereClean is a nice initiative as waste is the current problem Lagos is facing. We can work to make this initiative bigger. We should have this initiative in all the local governments and get organisations to support it. Lagos is a mega city and VisionScape cannot do it alone. This initiative can be used in assisting to make a clean Lagos – Hon. Oladipo Anthony Afolabi, (Former) Supervisory Councillor for Health, Surulere Local Government

This initiative should be supported by everybody. We need to take sanitation very seriously. Waste is not a Surulere problem. It is a Nigerian problem. Part of the reason I am involved in this project is to join in sensitizing people as well as advocate for a clean environment. I thank all the volunteers for doing this selfless work – Hon. Demond Elliot, Member, Lagos State House of Assembly, Surulere 1 Constituency

ACI thanks everyone for their roles in the success of the Keep Surulere Clean project by ACI Surulere Green Tribe. More sanitation exercise will be organized during the year.

Beyond Waste Project is the health and social impact vehicle of ACI. The 2nd Beyond Waste project on May 12th, 2018 will be focused on Pregnant women in Makoko area of Yaba. The first of this project in 2018 was at Mosquito Village, Ajegunle. Do reach to us for Partnership/Sponsorship. Call 08021349281/08066682322/ info.acinigeria@gmail.com

Keep Surulere Clean Project — Powered by African Clean Up Initiative with support from Cleaner Lagos Initiative, RecyclePoints, Lets Do It Nigeria, VisionScape, Rg13Ltd, Surulere Boys Scout, Thumbs up Initiative, Desmond Elliot, JCI Eko and Volunteers.