By Rose Oranye
The Anambra State Ministry of Information and Value Reformation and the Ministry of Environment have agreed to forge a strategic partnership to tackle environmental degradation through attitudinal change and community enforcement.
This was the outcome of a courtesy visit on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, by the Commissioner for Information and Value Reformation, Dr. Law Mefor, to his Environment counterpart, Dr. Clems Aguiyi, at his office in Awka.
Speaking during the visit, Dr. Mefor said the two ministries share overlapping mandates, noting that environmental challenges in the state are largely driven by human conduct.
“The Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Information and Value Reformation have overlapping mandates, interests and concerns. The issue is how we can collaborate to make our work easier and deliver results,” Mefor said.
He described environment as a critical pillar of the Soludo administration’s five-pillar agenda, stressing the need for synergy, and cited flooding and erosion as consequences of irresponsible environmental practices, such as failure to contain storm water, lack of catchment pits, and total concreting of compounds, adding that that Anambra’s porous soil makes it highly vulnerable to erosion.
“We have one of the most robust environmental laws perhaps in Nigeria, but laws are not enough. Enforcement is not enough. If we get our people to change their attitudes, enforcement will no longer be a major issue,” he said.
He proposed town hall meetings, airwave campaigns, and activation of the 179 community town unions, Presidents-General and traditional rulers to form a coalition of the willing against environmental threats. He also suggested setting up a joint technical committee with a deadline-driven blueprint.
In his response, Dr. Aguiyi welcomed the initiative, saying it aligns perfectly with the governor’s declaration of a state of emergency on the environment on July 24th, 2026, and his decision to make environment the theme of Anambra’s 35th anniversary on August 27th.
“The theme, “Our Environment, Our Future: A Call for Individual Responsibility and Collective Action,” is about ownership. You make the mess, you clear the mess,” he said, lamenting the poor environmental culture among residents.
“It is a cultural problem. Behavioural change is key, but enforcement is also critical. Education, sensitisation and enforcement must go simultaneously,” Aguiyi said.
Aguiyi emphasised that environment cannot be left to one ministry alone, as it intersects with every MDA, and assured that all suggested strategies, from media saturation to community enforcement would be deployed.
“This partnership will work for the good of the state. The Governor has made the declaration. What remains is implementation,” he added.
Both commissioners later met with other stakeholders to immediately set up a joint technical committee and develop a workable blueprint for a statewide campaign, after which they signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU).
