The Lagos Waste Management Authority, LAWMA has unveiled plans to support COPA Lagos through the provision of its trucks in the COPA Lagos Clean the Beach Campaign.
COPA Lagos Clean the Beach Campaign is the largest volunteer beach cleanup campaign in Lagos. Volunteers in from around the city are encouraged to join the organizers, players and sponsors with one goal: preventing hundreds of thousands of pounds of pollution from trashing our oceans and harming marine wildlife.
Ocean trash is a serious pollution problem that affects the health of people, wildlife and local economies. Trash in the ocean compromises human and wildlife health, which affects the livelihoods of millions all over the planet. The typical beach is littered with pieces of paper, nylon bags, cigarette butt or empty bottles and beer cans which apart from being unsightly will eventually make its way to the ocean. Oceans remain the largest part of our water cycle, generating oxygen and rain necessary to sustain life on Earth.
According to Michael Smith, Project Manager, COPA Lagos, “Everybody loves the beach, but not everyone respects the beach. Every year, beachgoers leave tons of trash on Lagos beaches and even more washes up from the Atlantic Ocean.”
”Although the International Coastal Cleanup was marked in September, we feel the need to constantly educate ourselvesabout the coastal environment and what we can do in our daily lives to solve problems of pollution. Beach debris is not just hideous, it poses a threat to humans and wildlife,” Smith said.
“LAWMA has done remarkably well to restore our beaches to their former glory; we must cultivate a habit of proper waste disposal. Broken glass and mangled cans endanger those who recreate at the beach and rob us all of a culture of beach leisure,” Smith added.
Last year the organizers of the event, theplayers, officials of our sponsors including FCMB and volunteers cleared the Eko Atlantic beach front of pounds of debris.
According to the Managing Director of LAWMA, Mr. Ola Oresanya, “Our mission at the agency is to provide professional, efficient and sustainable waste management and disposal services to the generality of Lagosians, corporate bodies and Governments (Local and State) in Lagos State.”
FCMB’s Head, Corporate Affairs, IkechukwuKalu, also confirmed the bank’s participation as part of the effort to further the bank’s environmental sanitation campaign, the FCMB Green Commitment.
“Our Corporate Social Responsibility is to do our little part to ensure environmental sustainability. We are focusing on sensitization and education on sanitation and waste management through a plan to educate our staff and members of the community on environment friendly habits within the areas where we operate and conduct our business,” Kalu said
He expressed the bank’s willingness to partner with well-meaning state and local governments to lead by example in transforming the environment. By so doing, he noted, our business improves and hopefully others will follow.We are all familiar with the saying that health is wealth; a cleaner environment means better business”,Kalu also said.
“We believe that campaigns such as the Clean the Beach Campaign would go a long way to adequately enlighten and educate the public on environmental and waste management issues so as to combat these problems,” he said.
Copa Lagos is a 3 day Beach Soccer tournament sponsored By FCMB, Eko Atlantic and Cool FM, taking place from 13th to 15th December 2013 at Eko Atlantic. Copa Lagos is unique because it is much more than just soccer, the 3 day event features live concerts, beach parties, international cheerleaders and a fashion show. This year Copa Lagos returns with new teams, new cheerleaders, new Artiste’s and more. Nigeria will take on African Champions Senegal, European Giants, Germany and the cedars of Lebanon.
