By Damiete Braide
The phrase “Catch them Young” was exemplified by the International Council of Museums in Nigeria (ICOMS), in collaboration with Zion Arts and Heritage and American Corner, Ikeja, Lagos, when they held a one-day enlightenment programme where professionals taught the youths how to turn waste to wealth creation last week Wednesday.
•A cross section of students in a group photograph with Dr Louisa Onuoha
Various speakers spoke on the theme of the programme while students from Fountain Heights Secondary School, Surulere, Brook Stones High School, Akowonjo, Quadron P International School, Ikorodu, and Dornnie Private Secondary School were in attendance.
“Sustainability, Arts, Culture and Environmental Advocacy, the Role of our Youths” and educated and mentored the youths on how they can make good use of what they were taught.
Dr Louisa Onuoha, President, of ICOMS Nigeria and founding member of Zion Arts and Heritage Foundation in her address of welcome, said, “We realise that we cannot have too much advocacy on the area of telling our youths what sustainability in all its form is and the sustainability is considering environmental challenges that we have especially in our country.”
Mrs Onuoha, who is also the Assistant Director of Museum Educational Services and Training at National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Nigeria, remarked, “We decided to engage these young people by going to various secondary schools and educating them on what sustainability is at all.
“We went to various schools to educate them on environmental sustainability which can make them wealthy if they take it seriously. All the waste around us that causes a lot of problems, such as blockage of drainages which drives people out of their houses, can be recycled and be made into the creation of wealth.
“We decided to bring professionals (youths like them) that have gone through such training in tyre recycling to make chairs, tables, or decorations in the home. While glass recycling can be used to make plaques and other things. Biscuits and sweet wrappers, plastic bottles are used by waste recyclers and they have turned them into fashion or artistic designs.
“We want our youths to know that waste can be recycled to make our future sustainable and to make our environment better, which helps us in having better living conditions.
In a video, Emma Narda, President of the International Council of Museums (ICOMS), explained that a museum was a Not-for-profit permanent institution in the service of society that researches, collects, interprets and exhibits tangible and intangible heritage open to the public, accessible and inclusive.
She disclosed that museums “foster diversity and sustainability; they operate and communicate ethically, professionally and with the participation of communities, offering a variety of experiences for education, enjoyment, reflection and knowledge sharing.”
Okoro Favour from Marjos International College, Surulere, Lagos State, admitted, “I learnt a lot of things during this programme, and it has been a tremendous experience for me.
“The waste to wealth concept in Nigeria has been diminished, and it is not working properly, but this programme has enhanced me to have the concept of renewing waste into desirable products. I enjoin youths to join these programmes and the government should introduce them so that other schools will be able to participate in future programmes like this.”