Hey, eco-fam! This week we’re hanging out with the founder of Clean Waves Nigeria, home to Lagos’ freshest community of eco-warriors; Wave Changers. They’ve been making waves—pun totally intended—in waste management and just dropped a killer documentary that we can’t wait to get all the tea on.
Wastebanc
W: Let’s welcome Omolola, the mastermind behind this green revolution. What’s up, Omolola?
Omolola: Hi hi…
W: So, spill the deets on Wave Changers. How did this eco-warrior vibe start? It’s not exactly where you’d expect us young peeps to be, right?
Omolola: It kinda found me, you know? Like, sustainability hit me up about five or six years ago, and I was like, whoa, what’s this? It was a wake-up call. A friend called me out on trash dumping, and it hit me hard. That’s when I knew, things had to change.
W: Real talk! Friends calling us out >>>>>>>>
Omolola: Indeed, because over the years I started to pay attention to sustainable living, plastic as a problem for our planet and how we have the things we need but continue to lean towards over-consumption.
W: That bit about over-consumption, no truer words have been said!
Omolola: Yes! So, my focus on waste management was a focus on myself and my immediate environment. I knew that I could be doing more, I just didn’t know where to start. I did my research on the industry and started seeing the people who were doing it. It seemed unreachable because even as a consumer, I wondered how to recycle my plastic and maybe just trash it and hope scavengers pick it up. But man, recycling in Nigeria? It’s a maze!
W: Totally! Thank goodness for Wastebanc, right?
Omolola: Absolutely, and that’s why I decided to go on this journey by first creating awareness about waste and waste management while keeping sight of sustainability as a whole and for every Nigerian, African, and even the rest of the world.
W: Love it! So, you just released a documentary. What’s the sitch?
Omolola: It’s about a squad of GenZ and Millennial badasses who hit the beach and couldn’t snap Insta pics because there was trash everywhere.
W: Oh no, that’s not good.
Omolola: At all! While some people would have been okay with it, I found it very disturbing. The documentary was because of that and captures our real-life cleanup at Tarkwa Bay Beach. The documentary captures our experience and the plans around the cleanup and for the future. It’s a call to action, really.
W: Seeing a problem and doing something to help, boss vibes right there, Omolola.
Omolola: You know, I remember during the cleanup, we would be trying to get trash from the shore and the waves would gather them back into the ocean. It was happening a lot and I thought, jokingly, “We’re trying to help you, Ocean!” I would later recall the moment and laugh because of how cocky it is to think we’re helping the very elements we polluted as human beings.
W: That’s deep! What was the most challenging part of organizing the beach cleanup that is the premise of the documentary?
Omolola: Money! It was mainly money. My friends were down and committed to the cleanup itself and genuinely interested. because it was a “Clean and Chill” themed event. But I had to commit much of my money to make it happen. Thankfully, some friends also pitched in and undertook the cost for certain things.
…I remember during the cleanup, we would be trying to get trash from the shore and the waves would gather them back into the ocean. It was happening a lot and I thought, jokingly, “We’re trying to help you, Ocean!” I would later recall the moment and laugh because of how cocky it is to think we’re helping the very elements we polluted as human beings.
Omolola
W: Nice! So, what is the goal for Wave Changers? Where do you see this going?
Omolola: Another cleanup is coming up for sure. And we are also positioning ourselves beyond beach cleanups to go into communities, markets, and schools. I’m already teaching my little cousins about the environment. I got them easy-to-read books and all. They’re excited and already working on projects. One of my friends started learning to be conscious of their environment very early on, and it’s stuck with them. So, schools are important.
W: Preach! So, what can the rest of us do to get involved and be eco-warriors like you?
Omolola: Come through, let’s do this together. The way to go is to do your research, understand the issue of sustainability and waste management for yourself, and get actively involved. And if you don’t stay for the cause, you’ll stay for the cool, young, trendy, creative community committed to the cause.
W: Been a pleasure, Omolola!
Omolola: Always.
Watch the documentary👇🏾
