Nigeria
Je’nwi Temi
Mo fe Soro/I Want to Talk
Safe Planet Arts & Outreach Event, Lagos, Nigeria, March 1-3, 2013
The UN Safe Planet Campaign, in co-operation with the Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research (NIOMR), and IPEN, Nigeria, produced a variety of events to highlight electronic waste, plastic pollution in the oceans, POPs, and other hazardous chemicals in our bodies and the seas.
from the Introduction to Santa Cruz County Stream Care Guide
Mo fe Soro/ I Want to Talk featured 3 days of activities including an international art exhibition, a symposium on plastic pollution, e-waste and POPs, an evening of films, visits to local schools, a beach clean-up activity for youth and the announcement of a Safe Planet Art Contest for Nigeria. The international art exhibition highlighted the work of artists who connect the themes of climate change, rising oceanic levels, plastic pollution and Body Burden.
Invited artists are from around the globe including, Ehije Ehinor (Nigeria), and Bridget Nwanze (Nigeria). Body Burden, a short film directed by Howard Baral, was shown along with other Safe Planet related shorts and the 5Gyres ocean exploration films. Safe Planet is working with Kofi Renner, NIOMR who spoke on West African issues of Waste and Chemicals in the Marine Environment. Mr. Idris Imram, working with the International POPs Elimination Network in Lagos, led the discussion. Via the arts and outreach, Friends of Safe Planet brought information and inspirational solutions to our increasingly toxic body burden, highlighting issues of electronic waste and marine plastic pollution.
In Lagos, artist Barbara Benish, Director of ArtMill Center for Sustainable Creativity in Czech Republic, worked with students from local schools to create artworks from found plastic. A beach-clean up project was also planned. E-Waste, an increasing problem worldwide, is also prominent in Africa. Read about a UN Report concerning the import of e-waste from Europe. Working with M. Idris Imran of GIHWAD (IPEN-PO) in Lagos, and many other NGOs in the region, this event will bring home the importance of fighting hazardous chemicals from entering our environment and bodies.
Contact: NIOMR Research Officer: Kofi Renner, kofirenner@yahoo.co.uk