World Ocean Day in coastal Ondo State, Nigeria, 13 June 2019
The 2019 Mundus maris asbl World Ocean Day (MM WOD) event was held, among others, in Ondo State, Nigeria between 13th and 14th June, 2019. The World Ocean Day (WOD) is an annual event celebrated globally. The Federal University of Technology, Akure is the host Institution celebrating this annual event. The Theme of this year WOD celebration is: “Women and Ocean”. A 2-Day event was slated for celebration. Day 1 event was held at the coastal areas of the State; Ilaje and Ese Odo Local Government Areas of Ondo State, Nigeria. Day 2 event was held at the premises of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Nigeria.
On 13th June, 2019 the Day 1 of the event featured: Seminar and coastal sanitation awareness in Ilaje and Ese Odo Local Government Areas of the State. A team of five members/facilitators from FUTA travelled for about 3 hours by road to Igbekebo, the Headquarter of Ese Odo Local Government Area of Ondo State, to meet women who were from various regions across the coastal areas of the State. These groups of women were informed by the Women Leaders in their constituencies. There were all gathered at around 10:00am.
Dr. Adeleke M. Lydia who led the team delivered a talk on coastal sanitation. She talked on the ways women could keep the ocean clean using tips summaries behind the OCEAN CLEAN acronyms. The lecture/talk was also interpreted in the local language of the participants by Dr. Bosede Akinwalere of the Department of Agricultural Extension Communication, Technology, FUTA. The questions and answer session was moderated by Mrs. Wole-Alo Felicia Akinwalere of the same Department, FUTA. Other members of the team were Mr. Osaigbovo Peter Osayanmen (Corp member of the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture Technology, FUTA) and Mr. Ayo, Student Affairs, FUTA who was in charge of the camera/photographs and other logistics.
The coastal event was fully sponsored by Her Excellency, the First Lady, Ondo State, Nigeria, Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu. One of her passions for the State is the total well-being of women and girl children. Eighty-six (86) women were in attendance. These women were organised and receptive. All their questions were answered and recommendations were stated. The coastal women who participated promised to start the ocean sanitation in earnest and propagate the lesson learnt to their neighbours who were not in attendance. They look forward to future collaborations and projects with Mundus maris asbl. The meeting came to a close at around 2:00 pm with light refreshments and Group photographs.
Group photo of the key organisers from FUTA and from Ilaje and Ese Odo Local Government Areas of Ondo State