Stakeholders have emphasized the need for stronger local engagement and collaboration in addressing Nigeria’s growing environmental and health challenges.
This call was made on Wednesday at the 10th National Conference on Environment and Health, organized by the Living Science Foundation, with the theme “Fostering Local Stakeholders’ Engagement and Collaboration in Environment and Health Management in Nigeria.”
The event was held at the University of Ilesa, Ilesa, Osun State.
Speaking at the event, the Prof. Dapo Asaju, former Vice Chancellor of Ajayi Crowther University and Bishop of Ilesa Anglican Communion, said Nigeria must return to its moral and spiritual roots to restore the quality of its healthcare and medical system.
Prof. Asaju said, “We have here a conference on living sciences, where people are going to be challenged to be better doctors and healers for a world that is sick. Everywhere in this world is sick and we need good people who can do things the right way.”
He urged collaboration between Christian medical institutions, government hospitals, and private facilities to improve the nation’s healthcare delivery.
Prof. Asaju also decried the mass exodus of Nigerian professionals abroad, saying the situation has worsened the state of healthcare delivery in the country.
“Our best brains are leaving us. People are dying in large numbers in hospitals. We see problems and we are asking, this conference is going to be a solution,” he said.
Delivering the keynote address, Prof. Debo Adeyewa, a Professor of Meteorology and Climate Science, emphasized the need for inclusive participation in environmental and health management.
He commended the Living Science Foundation for championing indigenous solutions, he said “this conference is focused on the importance of stakeholders, the boys, the girls, the youth, the market women, the environmentalists, the civil servants, the judges, and the traditional rulers, we need to come together and do something about the environment.”
He stressed the importance of providing clean water, sanitation, and hygiene to reduce health risks, “if we can give our people clean drinking water, it will significantly reduce health issues,” he added.
Prof. Joshua Ojo, President of the Living Science Foundation, explained that the organization has, over the past decade, championed multidisciplinary and multi-stakeholder engagement in addressing environmental and health challenges with valuable recommendations put forward to stakeholders.
“The best way to manage environmental health issues is to have a multi-disciplinary approach. We come together and discuss, that is what we believe in and have been doing for the past ten years,” he stated.
He warned that overdependence on foreign-engineered seeds – Genetic modified organisms – poses a great threat to Nigeria’s agricultural sovereignty.
Representing the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilesa, the institution’s ICT Director, Dr. Oladipo Folorunsho, highlighted the university’s efforts in promoting environmental awareness and healthy living on campus.
“We have zero tolerance for disobedience to environmental culture. We have a good culture of greens. You can see all our surroundings,” he said.
He added that the university operates several programs that integrate environmental and health education, including courses in toxicology, environmental science, and public health.
The conference concluded with a renewed commitment from stakeholders to deepen collaboration and community engagement in safeguarding Nigeria’s environment and public health.
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