SLC-S29/W3-“Thinking and Ideas!| Seeing Problems Differently!

Hello amigos, today I will be joining you all as I identify and provide facts about poor waste management in Nigeria, providing methods to tackle this problem, why it still exists despite being visible, and the key factor to take away from individuals for a healthy society.

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Identify One Everyday Problem In Your Community Or Country And Explain Some Steps In Solving It.

One of the day-to-day problems that affects my country Nigerian is improper waste disposal. This takes place especially in urban areas, but Nigeria's habit of continuously disposing of waste wherever it likes is not a life worth living. Many streets and drainages in the community I live in, "Edor", are blocked by refuse that can sometimes cause floods, bad smells, and the spread of deadly diseases such as malaria and cholera.

Steps To Solve The Poor Waste Disposal In Nigeria.

1. Provision of waste bins and enforcement of collection service: The government and the community councils should make provisions for waste bins and put up a system of organization for regular collection from individuals. By doing so, we are going to have a healthy environment.

2. Public awareness and education: This is when individuals are educated on the negative effects of not disposing of waste materials properly, letting them know that even the air that we breathe gets contaminated through this ungodly act, and also letting them know what good a clean environment offers through the media, schools, and community gatherings.

3. Enforcement of environmental laws: At the local level, they should first of all be laws that warn about indiscriminate dumping of waste substances, and the offenders should be penalized to decrease the attitude.

4. Community participation: As a country they should be a time when communities come together and work towards keeping the society clean, this is an act where residents clean their surroundings so that they will have a first-hand experience of a healthy environment.

5. Recycling and reuse: This is where the government lets the citizens have a place to dispose plastics, metals, and paper, thereby reducing inadequate waste disposal and also creating new jobs.

Why Do You Think This Problem Still Exists Despite Many People Noticing It?

This issue still lives on despite individuals seeing that deposing waste wrongly affects human survival, because of the following reasons;

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1. Inadequate facilities: In many areas in Nigeria, there aren't enough waste bins for proper disposal and regular waste collection services, which causes people to dump waste anywhere they find vacant space.

2. Poor attitude and habits: There can be individuals who are aware that improper waste disposal is wrong but still partake in such acts because they feel used to that lifestyle or think their actions wouldn't make a difference.

3. Weak enforcement of laws: Even when the laws are there to guide individuals to do what is right, without strictly enforcing them, people will still dispose of waste anywhere, because they face no penalties for their actions.

4. Limited government planning and funding: The government of Nigeria does not see waste management as a top issue to solve, causing the issue to persist and leading to poor planning and inadequate funding to stop this act.

5. Population growth and Urban pressure: With the advancement of technology and cities developing at a high rate, the waste management system is not keeping up with this growth, especially due to population increase; the act of inadequate waste disposal will continue.

Due to these factors, even when there's awareness, poor waste disposal will continue; there must be a push ahead, and that is taking action, providing facilities, and enforcing laws to solve this problem.

In Your Opinion, What Is The Most Misunderstood Part Of This Problem?

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In my opinion, the part of the problem, which is always misunderstood, is the belief that waste disposal is the responsibility of the government alone.

Many individuals think that once they throw waste away, it is none of their concern, whether it ends up in the drainage or the streets. People in my country overlook the fact that individual efforts matter a lot. When people continue to dump waste anywhere, it is capable of overpowering the best waste management system.

Another thing that I feel members of society have is that their little contributions do not count. Individuals often feel that one plastic bottle or even a bag of waste can't cause harm, but in a scenario where millions begin to reason in such a manner, it results in a national problem.

Therefore, while the actions of the government are necessary, real change rests on our individual efforts, daily habits, and responsibilities.

If You Could Change One Mindset Related To This Issue, What Would It Be?

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If I could change one mindset regarding this situation, it would be the idea that "my actions don't matter".

A lot of individuals feel that throwing waste carelessly can't make any difference because others practice the same act. Having such a mindset is very harmful, but when individuals start taking responsibilities and seeing themselves as the first point of change to the society and start making use of bins, avoiding littering, and encouraging others, they will be a positive turn around.

I will then take up this mindset which says "every action I take counts", this would enable individuals to realize that ensuring that the environment is clean isn't just about government orders or rules, but for the safety of their community, health, and future.

I would like to invite

@josepha
@lirvic
@bossj23
@memamun
@max-pro

Thanks for reading this post!!!