Tertiary institution students in Ekiti State have launched an environmental sanitation campaign in Ado-Ekiti, urging residents to stop indiscriminate waste disposal, plant more trees and take greater responsibility for protecting the environment.
The campaign, tagged “Keep Ekiti Clean, Keep Ekiti Green,” was held on Wednesday to commemorate World Cleanup Day 2026 under the Ekiti Students Skill Up with YOMA Initiative.
The students took the campaign to markets and streets, engaging market women, commercial motorcycle operators, community leaders and other residents on the importance of proper waste disposal, tree planting and environmental protection.
The initiative was organised with support from UNICEF through a partnership involving the Ekiti State Government and Generation Unlimited 9ja.
Participating institutions included Ekiti State University, Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere-Ekiti, Federal College of Education, Iyin-Ekiti, Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti, and Ekiti State Polytechnic, Isan-Ekiti.
Project Lead, Modupe Adetiba, said the campaign was aimed at demonstrating that environmental protection requires active participation from citizens and communities, rather than depending solely on government.
Adetiba said the participation of students also demonstrated the capacity of young people to identify challenges in their communities and contribute to finding solutions.
She urged residents to dispose of waste responsibly and embrace tree planting, stressing that collective action was necessary to keep Ekiti clean and green.According to her, “Climate action and environmental protection are a collective effort.
It is not only the government that should do it. It is every one of us as citizens and as people who should nurture nature.”She also called on residents to replace trees that are cut down by planting new ones, while encouraging community stakeholders to take active roles in environmental protection.
A representative of the Ekiti State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Olasehinde Oloniyo, said the Ekiti Students Skill Up initiative was primarily focused on youth development, leadership and capacity building.
Oloniyo explained that the programme was designed to equip young people with relevant skills and opportunities to improve their employability and participation in community development.
He noted that environmental protection was an important component of the programme because the health and wellbeing of communities were closely linked to the quality of their surroundings.
He urged residents to complement government efforts through proper waste disposal, tree planting and the protection of vegetation.Participants also highlighted the importance of the campaign.
Favour Anjorin said the exercise helped raise awareness about environmental sanitation and encouraged residents to adopt practices capable of reducing environmental problems such as erosion and flooding.
Another participant, Joel Oluwadunsin, said the campaign focused on educating residents about pollution, tree planting and the importance of maintaining clean surroundings for healthy living.
