Residents of Developing Layouts in Gombe will soon bid bye to lack of refuse collection sites in their areas, According to Gombe State Commissioner for Environment and Forest Resources Dr. Hussaina Goje, on Friday said Gov Inuwa Yahaya administration has plans to develop over 100 waste collection centres within the metropolis.
Goje disclosed this during a conference on the commemoration of World Environment Day with the theme Biodiversity; A concern that is both urgent and existential.
She said plans were already on to develop the various centres to service developing layouts, adding that there are also plans to extend such to the remaining LGA’s in the state.
“What we realized is that the population of Gombe has grown, the last time the waste collection centres were built was around 2004 and 2005 and the population was half of what we have in Gombe. With the influx of migrants from all over the North Eastern part of Nigeria, our structures are depleting and there is need to improve on our structures. As you are aware the government of Governor Inuwa Yahaya is working on building the structures in the state and Tunfure has been considered amongst them, because there is no waste collection Centre there,” Goje said.
While warning against indiscriminate waste disposal within the metropolis, she said the state has operating environmental laws which are binding.
The commissioner said, “Currently we have two call Centre numbers, Already Gombe State Environmental Protection Agency (GOSEPA) has identified 28 new sites to collect waste in Tunfure, and also Shamaki, through malam Ina have also increased in population.”
Goje stressed that so far 27,000 job opportunities have been provided for Gombe youths under the Gombe Goes Green project in collaboration with Youth Employment and Social Support Operation to plant four million trees in four years and an additional one million trees this year in partnership with Forest Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN).
She added that biodiversity remains the answer to a number of sustainable development challenges that we face, from nature based solutions to climate, to food, water security and sustainable livelihoods.