Students in Ekiti State have taken their campaign for a cleaner environment to Ado-Ekiti residents, urging them to stop indiscriminate waste disposal and take greater responsibility for protecting their communities.
Students from various institutions participated in an environmental awareness campaign and sanitation exercise organised under the Ekiti Students Skill Up with YOMA Initiative, a UNICEF-funded project implemented in partnership with the Ekiti State Government, to commemorate World Cleanup Day 2026.
The students engaged market women, commercial motorcycle operators, community leaders, residents and other stakeholders, educating them on responsible waste disposal, tree planting, pollution prevention and the need to protect the environment.
Speaking with journalists during the exercise, Project Lead Modupe Adetiba said the campaign aimed to show that environmental protection should not be left to government alone.
Adetiba said the students were also using the initiative to show that young people can identify challenges in their communities and help find solutions.
She urged residents to dispose of waste responsibly and avoid practices that worsen environmental degradation, while encouraging them to plant trees and protect existing vegetation.
‘Climate action and environmental protection are a collective effort. It is not only the government that should do it. It is every one of us as citizens and as people who should nurture nature,’ Adetiba said.
She added that the students’ participation was intended to inspire young people to become active contributors to solving community problems rather than merely identifying them.
‘Ekiti students are not just problem-seers; they are also solution providers,’ she said, urging residents, community leaders and other stakeholders to join the campaign to keep the state clean and green.
A representative of the Ekiti State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Olasehinde Oloniyo, said the programme focused primarily on youth development and capacity building, with environmental protection as an important component.
Oloniyo said the initiative was designed to equip young people with relevant skills, training, and opportunities to improve their employability and contribute to the state’s development.
He urged residents to complement government efforts by adopting responsible environmental practices, including proper waste disposal, tree planting, and protecting vegetation.