Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has called on Nigerian women to step into leadership roles in environmental justice and climate action as the country marked the 2025 World Environment Day, themed #BeatPlasticPollution.
In a statement released on Thursday in Abuja by her Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Jonathan Eze, the Minister described plastic pollution as a critical threat that demands collective courage, clarity, and urgent action.
She emphasized that women, often the first affected by environmental degradation, are also the most responsive and resilient actors in protecting families and communities.
"World Environment Day 2025 is more than a commemoration — it is a rallying cry to defend our shared home, Mother Earth," the statement read.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim warned of the dangers of plastic pollution, which she said is infiltrating daily life — from contaminating food and water to polluting the air. "This crisis is not abstract. It is in our kitchens, our markets, our homes, and even in our bodies," she said.
Highlighting the impact on Nigerian women, she noted that from rural farmers to urban mothers, women experience the brunt of environmental harm. "Floods, blocked drainage systems, polluted water, and degraded farmlands are displacing families and deepening vulnerabilities, particularly for women and children," she said.
She reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, to position women not just as victims, but as key agents in tackling the climate crisis. She also pledged continued collaboration with critical government sectors including the Ministries of Environment, Health, Education, and Water Resources.
"Beating plastic pollution is our shared responsibility," she asserted. "From boardrooms to markets, from places of worship to classrooms, I call on Nigerian women to reject single-use plastics, embrace eco-friendly alternatives, educate communities, and influence change."
Sulaiman-Ibrahim concluded with a rallying call: "Let this be the year Nigerian women take their rightful place on the frontlines of environmental justice and climate action. When we protect our Earth, we protect our children, our health, and our future."
ADEOLA KUNLE
