About Plogging Nigeria Club; University of Nigeria Nsukka
Plogging is a combination of jogging with picking up refuse (Plocka up + Jogging). Plogging Nigeria is an organisation with a vision to birth” Fit People in Clean Communities”. Plogging Nigeria’s vision is to promote a culture of responsible and sustainable interaction with the environment as well as embracing an active lifestyle that recognises the immense benefit of mental and physical fitness. For the club, it is imperative to inspire group of committed youths and students-alike in taking responsible actions towards environmental protection and sustainability, especially addressing the negative effects of plastic pollution on the environment. In the University of Nigeria Nsukka, the Plogging club has taken it upon itself to conduct environmental sanitation interventions fortnightly on the university campus. The fast-growing organisation currently has clubs in 14 institutions around Nigeria. On the different online platforms, Plogging Nigeria can be found on Twitter via the handle ‘@ploggingnigeria’, the organisation also has Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn accounts.
UNN Maiden Campus Clean Up: A rise to Environmental Sustainability in the University of Nigeria
Over several decades since the inauguration of the University of Nigeria, several administrations have come and gone without any plan to ensure the environmental sustainability of the University of Nigeria community. However, the administration of Prof. Charles Igwe, the amiable vice – chancellor saw it fit to take strategic steps to ensure environmental sustainability in the community. Of all issues sampled, solid waste management was found as the most adamant problem in the University community. Hence, it was upon this backdrop that Plogging Nigeria Club of the University of Nigeria, designed a programme plan to devise an exercise which will ensure unification of efforts between staff and students of our beloved citadel of learning in the fight against proper solid waste disposal. This programme was the UNN Campus Clean Up (UNNCCUP).
The Maiden UNN Campus Clean Up (UNNCCUP), which was held on the 8th February 2020 was a brainchild of the Plogging Nigeria Club University of Nigeria Nsukka. The exercise was carried out with the support of the Dean Student Affairs Department, Director Youth Friendly Centre, Director ICT Unit, STRACEP and the Environmental Committee of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The cleanup was conducted with support from the Rotary Club of Nsukka, Rotaract Club of the University of Nigeria Nsukka, Ideal Life City, Lagos Waste Reporter, SPE, YANGG, Smart Resource Nigeria, LionFM, UNN Campus Life and the UNN Medical Center.
The UNNCCUP exercise was led by the club’s Principal and Head Ploggas, Ayodeji Omilabu and Chris Ikechi respectively. The clean-up exercise was aimed towards encouraging individual participation of all members of the university community in the promotion of a healthy and sustainable environment, especially in the area of practices of solid waste management. In Mr. Omilabus’s words, “The experience from our Plogging Episodes which has been focused on solid waste handling and management drew our attention to the unsatisfactory state of the University environment, particularly the hostels and business areas of the university”. This, and the insatiable drive of the amiable Vice Chancellor of the university – Prof, Charles Igwe to ensure environmental sustainability, motivated the decision to host the first ever University of Nigeria clean-up exercise. The Head Plogga of the club, Chris Ikechi reported that “this clean-up was a forum to strengthen our commitment as part of the University community in furthering the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, especially in this Decade of Action.”
The UNNCCUP exercise was a very inclusive one with people from different strata and age groups in the University participating in numbers which include both staff and students. The maiden edition of the University of Nigeria Clean Up recorded five hundred and eleven (511) participants and a total waste collection of seven hundred (700) waste bags. Of major highlight was the presence of Mr. Ezekiel, a specially-abled student who actively participated in the exercise. Top University of Nigeria officials were not left out of the exercise as they were in attendance and actively participated in the exercise. Officials in attendance includes the University Public Relations Officer – Chief Dr. Okun Omeaku; SSA to the Vice-Chancellor – Mr. Laz Ekeke; Director ICT/Innovation Center – Mr. Paul Oranu; Director Youth-Friendly Centre – Amb. Dr. Ifeanyichukwu Abada; members of the UNN Environmental Committee, led by Engr. Dr. Chigbo A. Mgbemene; and the Chief Security Officer – Mr. Christian Alumona. Also, in attendance were Mr. Ayobami Odubiyi and Dr. Nneka Okafor – Plogging Nigeria Club University of Nigeria Nsukka staff advisers. A lecturer from the Department of Social Studies Education attended the cleanup with her students. The clean-up exercise which lasted for about 3 hours and 45 minutes got hundreds of students appending their signatures to a pledge to keep the den (UNN Campus) clean.
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