Sterling One Foundation has spotlighted plastic waste pollution as a major issue to tackle on this year’s World Environment Day through community-led cleanups, strategic partnerships, and ongoing policy engagement.
In a statement on Sunday, the Foundation said it will join other stakeholders at WEDex 2025, a World Environment Day convening hosted by GreenHub Africa in partnership with the United Nations to seek solutions to the crisis.
Earlier this year, the Foundation led a major cleanup at Elegushi Beach under its Beach Adoption Programme, a national initiative that has now formally adopted more than five beaches since 2021, including Alpha, Eleko, Lafiaji, Iwerekun and Okun Ajah. Across these sites, the Foundation has cleared over 9,000 kilogrammes of waste, including more than 4,800 kilogrammes of recyclables, while working with local leaders to embed awareness and long-term stewardship in coastal communities.
The Chief Executive Officer of Sterling One Foundation, Olapeju Ibekwe, said, “Our work on the beaches is not symbolic. It is a deliberate strategy to improve coastal resilience, protect vulnerable populations, and link sustainability with real opportunity. Every cleanup is a chance to restore dignity to the environment and build trust in the systems meant to protect it.”
At the WEDex 2025, the Foundation will speak at the ‘Financing Youth Initiatives for Green Entrepreneurship’ session at the UN House in Abuja, focusing on unlocking capital for community-based solutions to plastic waste.
The United Nations, a key partner on WEDex, also returns this year as co-convener of the Africa Social Impact Summit, scheduled for July 10 and 11 in Lagos.
The summit will focus on practical solutions for climate resilience and policy innovation under the theme ‘Scaling Action: Bold Solutions for Climate Resilience and Policy Innovation’.
“Plastic pollution is a development issue but also an untapped opportunity,” said Ibekwe. “If we do not treat it as urgent and systemic, it will keep undermining livelihoods, health, and climate goals. Yet, if we engage in the right partnerships and investments, plastic waste can be turned into a driver of jobs and innovation, especially for young people across the continent. The call now is for both the public and private sectors to act, to see beyond the problem and unlock its potential for good.”
