From correspondent in Lagos
The Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) says it has trained no fewer than 300 people on Water Hyacinth Recycling Initiative in three years.
The General Manager of LASWA, Mr Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, disclosed this in a statement in Lagos on Tuesday,indicating the commencement of the 4th edition of the Annual Water Hyacinth Recycling Initiative done in conjunction with Metimeth.
” In the past, this initiative with support of LASWA had trained over three hundred 300 people in the Badagry, Ikorodu and Epe axis, on skills to transform water hyacinth to economically beneficial products,”he said.
Emmanuel, who said that the beneficiaries would be trained on the economic benefits and recycling of the weed added that “Water hyacinth cannot be totally eradicated but be controlled through harvesting into new materials and valuable products.”
“It is important to note that, water hyacinth is one of the fastest growing weeds across globe, infesting water bodies in over 50 countries, it reproduces every two weeks and thrives in polluted waters.
” Water hyacinth is a renewable resource but also an environmental menace and threat to biodiversity.
According to him, this year’s training will take place at Badore and other areas that have been identified as being the most affected by the water hyacinth menace in Lagos state
Emmanuel expressed the commitment of the organization in turning the menace of water hyacinth into sustainable lifestyle and fashion for people in coastal communities.
He expressed optimism that the training would enable coastal community residents with requisite skills to be able to transform the hyacinth into valuable handcrafted materials such as bags, mats, furniture items and textile decorations.
