The Lagos state government, in collaboration with Charitable Network for Community Empowerment (CHANCE), has trained market women in Ikeja on environmental sustainability.

The training and advocacy powered by CHANCE in commemoration of the International Women’s Day was held at Computer Village, Ikeja, on Saturday.

The theme for this year’s celebration is: “For All Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment,” emphasises the importance of achieving gender equality and empowering women and girls globally.

The founder of CHANCE, Olajumoke Saliu, said the collaboration was aimed at empowering women through environmental sustainability skills acquisition.

“CHANCE in collaboration with the Office of Climate Change and Circular Economy and the Office of the Sustainable Development Goals in Lagos State have come together in commemoration of International Women’s Day.

“We want to sensitise our fellow women who are market leaders and traders within Ikeja Computer Village on the importance of proper waste management, environmental sustainability and upcycling.

“We want women to know that they can be creative about waste around them. So, we are cleaning up the market and sensitising the women that we can be better even with our sustainability actions.

“We are having a sit-out session of sensitisation with the traders, where representatives from the Lagos State Waste Management Authority, will be engaging the women on how to properly clean up and also sort wastes,” Ms Saliu said.

She said the women would be educated on creative use of waste materials and sustainable agriculture.

“We will be educating the women on how to use waste materials creatively and also for growing food within their homes to ensure food security.

“Without a healthy environment, we cannot even have healthy women that can contribute to the productive force and the economy.

“So, it is important to look at the grey area that has not been focused on, and that is why in line with the 2025 theme of International Women’s Day, we are accelerating action on health and environment related matters,” she said.

On her part, Titilayo Oshodi, the special adviser to Lagos state governor on climate change and circular economy, described education of women on climate change issues as paramount in promoting sustainability.

“In commemorating International Women’s Day, there is a need for us to establish some level of climate literacy. People have to become more aware of their sanitation decisions.

“The desire and the decision to come to Computer Village Ikeja is because, in itself, it is an ecosystem of various businesses, nano, micro, medium sized, and these are people that generate a lot of waste in various categories.

“So, the organisation that has decided to put this together felt it needful to come and drive some level of education, not only to heighten the level of sanitation within the shops and business but also to let them know that they need not throw waste.

“So, we are building an ecosystem of climate friendly citizens in Lagos and our desire is that people become more aware and transition away from the linear economy of throwing things away, and, you know, converting into secularisation,” Ms Oshodi said.

Oreoluwa Finnish, the special adviser to Lagos state governor on Sustainable Development Goals, said the aim of the advocacy was to reduce carbon footprint on earth.

“For us in Lagos State, it has completely been about circularity, sustainability, environmental protection, and making sure that we live a life that lives a very small footprint on the earth.

“We are also aware of the new policy against single-use plastics and also the ban last year on styrofoam, these are some of the efforts that the government is making to ensure that our environment stays healthy.

“We reduce the amount of waste because the waste has to go somewhere, either into a landfill or into the ocean, which we do not want.

“This is because at the end of the day, we are also going to be victims of our own mishaps and mismanagement of the environment.

“The state government is taking some of these policies and actions to ensure that the environment stays safe,” Ms Finnih said.

Also, Temitope Okunnu, founder, Foundation for a Better Environment (FABE), the facilitator, said it is important women acquire skills that turns waste to wealth.

“We are celebrating the International Women’s Day, and our message is very clear, ‘waste is not a waste until you completely wasted’.

“We need the women here and as well as the men to understand that their waste is a resource.

“So, we are here to tell the traders that they need to start segregating their waste materials so they can begin to earn from it.

“And apart from just earning from it, they can also begin to learn a skill in ensuring that some of these waste materials can actually be turned into something beautiful.

“We are going to be training them on how to use their discarded tyres and turning them into tables and chairs so that they can begin to see value in that kind of way, and then they can also turn it into a product and earn,” Ms Okunnu said.

In appreciation of the Lagos state government and CHANCE, Abisola Azeez, Iyaloja of Computer Village Ikeja, said the traders would be willing to acquire the skills.

“We are excited that they have brought the sensitisation and advocacy on waste management to our market.

“In Computer Village, we have a place where we separate the waste, those that are metal and those that are plastic, even for a fee.

“So, we know that is a form of income generation, and we have people that want to do that kind of business as well. We are happy and glad that they have come here to train them.

“We are glad that they are partnering with Computer Village to allow us feel the impact of this waste economy.

“Our people are aware of wastes segregation but how to turn it into money is what they do not know about, so, we are glad that they are coming to train us on this today,” Ms Azeez said. 

(NAN)