By Asma’u Ahmad
The Ministry of Environment in collaboration with Andelsta Limited, on Wednesday re-launched National Mosquito Control and Liquid Waste Management Programme.
Newsmen report that the programme is aimed at cleaning the environment and control mosquito that caused malaria and other diseases.
Alhaji Usman Ibrahim Jibril
The Minister of State for Environment, Alhaji Usman Ibrahim Jibril, who re-launched the programme in Abuja, recalled that the maiden launching of the programme was done in 2009. He said that the re-launched programme is a private driven project, adding that its implementation would be supported by the Federal Government.
The minister, who stated that sanitation should be an issue of daily affairs, urged Nigerians to imbibe the culture of taking care of their environment in order to reduce incidence of malaria.
The Cuban Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Carlos Sosa, presented a paper at the occasion entitled “Eliminating Incidence of Mosquitoes and Malaria: The Cuban Experience.” In the paper, the Ambassador Sosa said that the Republic of Cuba had not experienced cases of Malaria since 1967.
Sosa urged Nigerian government at all levels to invest in malaria control and liquid waste management. While stressing the need for governments to invest in advocacy, fumigation and other basic facilities, he urged them to enforce war against indiscriminate dump of solid and liquid wastes.
Dr Salamatu Machiwga-Mambuka, who presented a paper entitled “Impact of Waste Management on Mosquito Vector,” stressed the need to control environment in order to wipe out malaria in the country. She said mosquito caused five diseases which were malaria, zika, dengue, yellow fever and chikunguya fever.
The Managing Director of Andelsta Limited, Mr Fintan Ibeshi, urged Nigerians to preach attitudinal change towards solid and liquid waste management. Mr Ibeshi said the Federal Government should revisit “War Against Indiscipline” which sanitation topped agenda in 1984.
According to him, government should enforce discipline on those who liter environment indiscriminately with solid and liquid wastes to stop mosquito and combat malaria in the country.
