By Amaka Isikala
The Anambra State Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Clem Aguiyi, has intensified the state’s environmental sustainability campaign with a tree planting exercise and environmental sensitisation programme at Community Secondary School, Enugwu-Agidi, as part of activities marking the 2026 World Nature Conservation Day on July 29.
The initiative is part of the Ministry of Environment’s ongoing statewide campaign to nurture environmentally responsible citizens and promote a cleaner, greener and more sustainable Anambra. Similar environmental awareness programmes are being conducted in schools across Awka, Nnewi and other parts of the state.
Addressing the students, Dr. Aguiyi reminded them that many of the trees enjoyed today were planted by previous generations and challenged each student to resume next term with a tree seedling to plant and nurture within the school premises.
He pledged to revisit the school to assess the progress of the initiative, encouraging the students to become ambassadors of environmental conservation in their homes and communities.
The commissioner educated the students on proper waste management, warning against indiscriminate disposal of refuse into drainage channels, which contributes significantly to flooding, urging them to embrace responsible environmental practices and champion sanitation and conservation efforts wherever they find themselves.
During an inspection of the school’s sanitation facilities, Dr. Aguiyi observed the need for additional toilet facilities to meet the needs of the growing student population, advising the school management to maintain existing facilities in good hygienic condition, discourage open defecation and institutionalise waste segregation by separating biodegradable waste from plastics as part of the school’s environmental culture.
He assured the school of the Ministry’s support through the provision of waste collection facilities and other interventions to strengthen waste management, emphasizing that a clean and healthy learning environment is essential for students’ wellbeing, character development and academic success.
Dr. Aguiyi commended the school’s Environmental Club (Eco-Champions) for promoting environmental responsibility among students, describing the club as a vital platform for raising future environmental leaders, encouraging members to remain committed to tree planting, proper sanitation, waste management and environmental stewardship while inspiring their peers to adopt sustainable environmental practices.
The commissioner reaffirmed that the initiative aligns with Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s Fifth Pillar of Development Environment and Urban Regeneration which is aimed at building a clean, green, livable and environmentally sustainable Anambra State.
Amaka Isikala is of the Ministry of Information and Value Reformation, Anambra State
