By Rose Oranye
The Anambra State Ministry of Information and Value Reformation and the
Ministry of Environment have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU),
to drive a statewide campaign for behavioural change and environmental
sustainability in line with Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s behavioural change
agenda.
The resolution was reached on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, when
the Commissioner for Information and Value Reformation, Dr Law Mefor and his
Environment counterpart, Dr Clems Aguiyi, sat with other stakeholders in a
meeting to explore areas of partnership.
In his remarks, Dr. Aguiyi said both ministries share a common
pursuit — changing citizens’ attitude towards the environment, and proposed
joint town hall meetings across the 179 communities under a coalition of the
willing, and collaboration with the Ministry of Education to articulate 20 Dos
and 10 Don’ts on environmental protection, a simple Citizen’s Code of Conduct
for Ndi Anambra, and a 10-15 minutes daily civic education curriculum from
primary to Senior Secondary.
According to him, Anambra’s environmental crisis is cultural and
behavioural. “Why does a child in America know to dial 911 or put on a seatbelt
without being told? It is habit. But an adult Nigerian, even when the car alarm
rings ‘put seatbelt oh’, will not put it on. It is a cultural thing,” Odimegwu
said.
Dr. Aguiyi also suggested simplifying Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s
August 27th speech with the theme, "Our Environment, Our Future: A Call
for Individual Responsibility and Collective Action, into a friendly, readable
form for distribution to every home, to make the campaign a movement in every
nook and cranny.
“We want that onye Anambra will see plastic or paper and say,
this is not supposed to be here, let me pick it up,” he said, noting that
communities must build resilience as first responders to seasonal flooding.
Responding, Dr. Mefor commended the Environment Ministry and
said the collaboration must be practical and deadline-driven.
He proposed a specialised syndicated weekly live radio programme
titled “You and Your Environment” across at least five popular stations.
“Enforcement must go with robust public enlightenment. You warn
before you act,” Mefor said.
Mefor noted that attitude change is difficult because people
resist change even when it benefits them, and recommended a two-pronged
approach: catch them young for children, and combine enforcement with public
education for adults.
He also called for engagement of traditional rulers,
Presidents-General, churches and faith-based groups like CMO, CWO and others,
noting that Anambra, as an almost 100% Christian state, has well-unionised
structures that can be mobilised from the senatorial district level.
On content creation, Mefor said his ministry would deploy its in-house team and
partner with Anambra-based influencers and skit makers to drive the
message.
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