Dr. Akingbehin Akinbodunwa, a consultant in environmental health, has called for a comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s public environmental health system to safeguard citizens and the natural environment.
Akinbodunwa, who is also the National President of the Environmental Health and Public Health Practitioners Association of Nigeria (EPHPAN), made the call in Lagos on Wednesday.
He spoke as part of activities marking Nigeria’s 65th Independence Day anniversary.
He said that after 65 years of independence, Nigeria needed a reformed environmental health system robust enough to protect the people, ecosystems, and future development.
Akinbodunwa stressed that Nigeria, at 65 years of nationhood, should already have a structured and efficient environmental health framework that guarantees safe surroundings and reduces disease outbreaks.
He added that proper reforms would curb flooding, eliminate indiscriminate waste, and ensure cleaner living conditions for all citizens.
He concluded by urging government at all levels to put preventive medicine and environmental health at the forefront, noting that “prevention remains cheaper and more effective than cure.”