Anambra State Commissioner for Environment, Mr Felix Odimegwu, Thursday, said the state government was poised to create over 5000 jobs through waste and plastic recycling.
Odimegwu, who stated this at Awka, the state capital at second edition of Anambra community Plastic Waste Recycling Challenge organised by the ministry in collaboration with Anambra State Waste Recyclers Association (ASWRA), added that governor Chukwuma Soludo’s led administration would recover 100,000 tonnes of plastic waste in 2024.
According to him, the State would through waste recycling sanitise and reclaim the environment from erosion and other ecological challenges threatening the human existence through collaborative efforts of individuals, communities, schools, businesses, institutions, among others.
“This challenge will once again engage our 179 communities in a spirited competition to see the communities that can collect the most plastic waste. It will involve awareness programs, clean-up drives, and innovative solutions to plastic waste management. We will recognize and reward efforts of those communities who go above and beyond in their commitment to a cleaner Anambra.
“The prizes for this year’s challenge are one million Naira (First Prize), five hundred thousand Naira (second Prize), and two hundred and fifty thousand Naira (Third Prize). The initiative will create indirect jobs in the industrial and environmental sectors, fostering economic growth while promoting environmental sustainability,” he noted.
Speaking in an interview, the Transition Committee Chairman, Idemili North Local Government Area, Hon. Stanley Nkwoka, praised the government for investing in waste recycling, which according to him, would equally continue to safeguard the State against disease outbreak and general wellbeing.
Earlier, Anambra State governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, represented by his Deputy, Dr Onyekachukwu Ibezim, while flagging off the exercise, urged the citizenry to become environmental advocates by internalising the habits of managing and disposing waste properly.