Determined to make a lasting impact on environmental sustainability, a coalition of students, staff, and environmental advocates converged on the University of Lagos (UNILAG) campus in a bold demonstration of action over rhetoric to mark the 2025 World Environment Day.
Armed with gloves, reusable bags, and a strong sense of purpose, the group fanned out across the campus with one collective goal: to prove that protecting the environment requires deliberate, visible commitment — not just lofty speeches.
The event, spearheaded by UNILAG Green Hub in collaboration with the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER), transformed the annual global observance into a powerful campaign rooted in grassroots activism and ecological education.
Setting the tone for the day was a keynote address by Dr. Excellence Akeredolu, an Associate Professor of Zoology at UNILAG and Director-at-Large of SER. Dr. Akeredolu did not shy away from the grim realities of plastic pollution.
“Every plastic bottle we remove today represents potential lives saved in our waterways,” he told volunteers. He further revealed staggering statistics, including the fact that 86% of sea turtle species now ingest plastic, and 93% of bottled water globally is contaminated with microplastics. Perhaps most alarming, he noted, is that plastic production consumes 6% of the world’s oil supply — a rarely discussed contributor to climate change.
With these urgent realities in mind, 87 participants were divided into 12 task-specific teams, each assigned to critical zones across the campus. From waterfronts to residential blocks and academic spaces, volunteers worked with determination and precision.
At the Lagoon waterfront — heavily polluted with bottles and wrappers — teams cleared debris to help restore the area’s ecological balance. Near lecture halls and libraries, pedestrian walkways were stripped of plastic fragments. Around the busy “Indomie Bridge,” the cleanup also served as a public awareness campaign, drawing attention from curious students and passersby.
The campaign employed innovative methods to boost its impact. A plastic waste audit categorised every item collected, converting garbage into data that could support future research. A competitive point system further energised the volunteers, who competed to gather the highest volume and the most hazardous materials.
The result: 37% of all waste collected comprised single-use beverage containers, while 18% were classified as high-risk plastic shards tainted with chemical residues. Altogether, participants removed 102 kilogrammes of plastic waste from the UNILAG campus — a significant victory in the global push for environmental protection.
Five major zones across the university were visibly transformed by the exercise, leaving behind not just cleaner spaces, but also a renewed sense of environmental responsibility among participants and onlookers alike.
In a bid to sustain the momentum, the organisers have announced plans to launch monthly “Green Patrols” to keep the campus clean. These patrols will be accompanied by strategic initiatives, including the installation of smart waste bins and the incorporation of environmental education into UNILAG’s general studies curriculum.
Perhaps most ambitiously, the group is exploring public-private partnerships to transform collected plastic waste into commercially viable materials, promoting a circular economy model over traditional landfill disposal.
The 2025 World Environment Day celebration at UNILAG not only raised awareness but also set a precedent for how Nigerian institutions can lead by example in the fight against environmental degradation. As Dr. Akeredolu remarked, “Sustainability begins with action. And here, today, we’ve shown that it’s possible.”
