Youth in Nigerian Archdiocese Eradicating Plastic Pollution to Mitigate Climate Change

On his part, the president of CYON in Abuja Archdiocese, Frankline Ekenedilichukwu, said that the youth initiative to care for the environment in Abuja Archdiocese is to enable them appreciate the papal document and how it can be used to foster environmental conservation.

“Laudato Si’ is a document issued by Pope Francis to see how the Church can come in and help mitigate the effects of climate change and global warming,” Ekenedilichukwu said, and added, “For us as Catholic youth we are here to sensitize the public on the dangers of plastic pollution in our environment.”

He continued, “We are being confronted with erosion, blockage of drainages which is caused by indiscriminate waste disposal.”

The CYON president in Abuja Archdiocese further said, “We all know the dangers of blocking drainage systems; recently an Estate called Trade More estate in Abuja was flooded due to poor drainage system and blocking of waterway by plastic waste.”

“We have just walked through the Durumi district of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja to sensitize the people on the dangers of blocking their drainage system and we hope to replicate these throughout the nation’s capital city,” he said.

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Ekenedilichukwu appealed to the government to “key into this project, because it has the capacity of creating jobs for the youth. The plastic waste we are picking can be recycled and turned into wealth for the young persons.”

“We also call for partnership from organizations both local and foreign to help us provide a recycling plant where this plastic waste collected by the youth can be recycled for wealth creation,” he added.

Abah Anthony John is a Nigerian Journalist with great enthusiasm and interest for Catholic Church Communication and Media Apostolate. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Mass Communication from Benue State University, Makurdi, Benue State Nigeria. He has vast experience in Print,  Electronic and Multi-Media Production.