The multi-city beach clean-up exercise initiated by Abubakar Suleiman, Chief Executive Officer at Sterling Bank Plc, has announced seasoned environmentalists as its governing board members. They are Taiwo Adewole, Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola and Akanbi Williams. In this role, they will provide support, guidance, and oversight to the continent’s most ambitious clean-up programme seeking to keep beaches clean and fresh on Nigeria’s extensive 853km coastal line, which cuts across nine states.
Unveiling the committee, Abubakar said, “We are pleased to welcome Taiwo, Bilikiss and Akanbi formally. Their vast experience in recycling, environmental management and science will hugely benefit our movement of almost 2000 volunteers committed to keeping beaches clean and safe from a leadership perspective. And to be clear, we are not just cleaning beaches to feel good. We are protecting marine life, creating jobs in coastal communities and recycling waste to promote project sustainability. This is about acting as one to better society, and I am humbled by the trust this represents. We will not solve all our problems with this gesture but will showcase what happens when the people take centre stage.”
Taiwo is Executive Director at Recycle Points, a waste recycling and social benefit venture based in Lagos. The seasoned environmentalist and waste management consultant hold a bachelor’s degree in Geography and a master’s degree in Environmental Resources Management from Lagos State University.
He holds membership of professional bodies and associations that include the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM), International Solid Waste Association (ISWA), Nigeria Environmental Society (NES), and Nigeria Conservation Foundation (NCF).
An experienced administrator and social entrepreneur, Bilikiss is the Director-General, Records and Archives, Lagos State. She founded Wecyclers, the award-winning Lagos-based recycling company that won the King Baudouin International Development Prize for Africa in 2018/2019.