Group trains students on waste to wealth

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

The Kaduna State World Bank-supported Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project says it is teaching secondary school students how to convert waste to wealth.
The Project Coordinator, Hajiya Maryam Dangaji, stated this in Kaduna at the Climate Change Action Exhibition and Competition on Waste to Wealth and distribution of Eco Clubs activity toolkit.
The exhibition and competition are among 42 established ECO Clubs in Secondary Schools across the three Senatorial Districts of the state.
Dangaji said that the measure was part of AGILE’s “catch them young” strategy, to make the students environmental conservation advocates to mitigate climate change.
According to her, the ECO Clubs are established to inculcate the culture of tree planning, love, protection, and care for the environment among students, particularly schoolgirls.
“They can do this profitably, by turning waste to wealth.”
Dr Yahaya Ibrahim, an Associate Professor with the Kaduna State University and Technical Assistant to AGILE project in Kaduna State, said that catching school children young would significantly mitigate climate change.
Ibrahim said that the students were trained on how to value trees, stressing that cutting down a single tree would jeopardize the lives of 400 living organisms.
He added that other areas covered recycling of waste products for wealth creation, segregation of waste and how to maintain a balance between environmental exploitation and conservation.
“The competition was organised to encourage the students on the need to practice and sustain what they have learned and also to reward good performance,” he said.
On her part, the AGILE Environmental Safeguard Officer, AGILE, Maurine Oyedoja, said that 42 schools participated in the competition designed to strengthen the interest of students on environmental conservation.
According to her, it is very important for the students to know that they can produce something from the abundant waste in the environment through recycling.
“It is equally important to catch the children, young by teaching them how to convert waste to wealth with a view to change their attitude from throwing away wealth in the name of waste.”
In her remarks, the National Project Coordinator, AGILE, Hajiya Amina Buba, commanded Kaduna AGILE Project Implementing Unit for inculcating environmental protection and preservation among students.
Buba, who was represented by Mrs Nkechi Nkemefuna, Environmental Safeguard Officer, National Project Coordinating Unit, said that the achievements recorded so far were laudable.
She called on the state government to ensure sustainability of the project goals and objective not only in improving girls’ access to secondary education, but also in mobilizing students to take action to protect the environment.
Government Girls Secondary School Maimuna Gwarzo emerged winner of the competition, while Government Secondary School Kabala Costain and Technical College Malali emerged second and third best respectively.
The AGILE project is the initiative of the Federal Government with funding support from the World Bank.
The project aimed to ensure adolescent girls access quality secondary education, through enhanced learning, digital literacy and life skills which empowered and assured better life chances and experience.