The Nigeria Sustainability Banking Principle(NSBP) champion group, has embarked on beach clean up exercise as part of efforts aimed at improving environmental sustainability of the blue economy in marine life.
This, it said, was also to address footprints of plastic waste pollution in shorelines, and biodiversity loss in the ecosystem.
The NSBP champion group, which comprises of all financial service institution and volunteering groups, sought the need to conserve marine life with freshwater environment by eradicating plastic waste pollution on shorelines in a move to address biodiversity loss while ensuring environmental protection and sustainability for marine life.
The NSBP group explained that the beach cleanup exercise of Lafiaji Beach was apt to address biodiversity loss of ecosystem while sensitising locals on the need to improve the environmental health practices of marine life.
The group also sought the need to promote environmental health sustainability to reduce footprints of plastic waste pollution in the shorelines and beaches, noting that, the activities of dumping plastic waste into beaches and oceans causes more harmful practices to the blue ocean economy.
The beach clean up exercise is coming to commemorate World Ocean Day and World Environment Day and to celebrate the group’s 10th anniversary.
Speaking at the beach clean up exercise in Lagos, financial service expert, Access Corporation, Kosisochukwu Ibukun hinted on the need to eradicate plastic waste in the economy by replacing them with bags which, she said, could easily decompose and decay when properly disposed.
She highlighted the need to educate indigent and locals on the importance of having clean beaches, good environment and safe health practices while addressing issues of biodiversity loss.
Speaking on plastic pollution, she encouraged consumers to use less plastics where possible, adding that, other alternatives to plastics should be adopted to tackle plastic waste pollution and ensure safe waters for mariners.
Stressing that NBSP is an industry made of different financial institutions in Nigeria ranging from commercial banks, development financial institutions and mortgage banks, he said, it was basically trying to promote sustainability in the industry, particularly, the private sector, government and relevant stakeholders tied to the principles of environmental sustainability.
Also speaking, Lead care giver at Sweet natural hair care, Oluwaseun Osho urged various MDAs and government institutions to properly educate academia, private sector operators on the need to improve environmental sustainability through various initiative targeted to improve marine life while maintaining Investment friendly destination for Investors to operate.
Environmentalist, Plogging Nigeria, Sodiq Jinad said: “we need to address the challenges of plastic waste pollution with effective strategy to improve environmental sustainability.”
He decried that the problem of plastic waste pollution in the economy and manufacturing sector is a multifaceted problem that requires a multipronged approach which he stressed should be addressed by sensitization, publicity, recycling, up cycling to achieve effective solution.
Furthermore, Sustainability department of Polaris Bank, Yemi Akinrelere assured the need to inform locals to come to awareness that some of the fishes they consume have elements of microplastic in them while espousing the need for them to know the health implications of dumping plastic waste into shorelines and deep sea ocean.
