A chartered Waste and Environmental Sustainable Management Consultant, Dr Femi Idowu-Adegoke, has called for the implementation of a national strategic plan on policies on oceans and coastal area development.
Idowu-Adegoke made the call in an interview in Lagos, in commemoration of the World Oceans Day, observed on June 8 annually.
This year’s theme is: `Gender and the Oceans.
Idowu-Adegoke said to effectively develop, care and manage the coastal lines, the process must be domiciled in the various coastal states, such as Lagos.
“There has been so much neglect of our coastal areas in terms of care, engagement and local tourism development. We need to begin to think global and act local.
“I want to call on the Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu government to get involved in community-based development for sustainable development.
“We need to begin to localise the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Goals one to 17, to become a core part of our various community development agendas,” he said.
Idowu-Adegoke said the importance of gender equality, in particular for the conservation of sustainable use of the oceans and marine resources, is increasingly being recognised.
He called for concerted actions toward gender equality and empowering of women and girls to achieve the SDG goal 5.
“This year, the theme for the celebration, ‘Gender and the Oceans’, is an opportunity to explore the gender dimension of people’s relationship with the oceans.
“The day is also to remind us of the importance of the ocean in everyday life.
“They are the lungs of the planet, providing most of the oxygen we breathe. It is a day to celebrate the beauty, the wealth and the promise of the oceans,’’ he said.
The Consultant added that the day is also an opportunity to take personal and community action to conserve and the oceans and their resources.
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