26/09/2026
๐๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ต ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐, ๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ต๐ผ๐น๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ฒ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ช๐ผ๐ฟ๐น๐ฑ ๐๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ต ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฒ
Hundreds of Environmental Health and Public Health Practitioners, stakeholders, veterans, educators and students from different backgrounds came together virtually to commemorate World Environmental Health Day 2026 in a webinar organised by the Environmental Health Channel and convened by Sanitarian Osimade Olayinka Peter
The webinar, held on ๐ฎ๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฒ , was centred on this yearโs theme: โ๐๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ต: ๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐.โ
In his opening address, the Convener, Sanitarian Osimade Olayinka Awotola, described the theme as both timely and important. He noted that Environmental Health is not simply about responding to problems after they occur, but about applying science, evidence and professional knowledge to anticipate risks, prevent harm and protect communities.
He emphasised that World Environmental Health Day should be more than a celebration, describing it as an opportunity for professionals to listen, learn, reflect and consider how the profession can move forward.
๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ, ๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ณ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป
Speaking on โ๐๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ต ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ด๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป,โ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ณ. ๐๐ท๐๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐๐๐ถ ๐ข. ๐ฆ๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ป highlighted the growing concerns surrounding food safety in Nigeria.
He drew attention to the prevalence of unsafe food practices and the challenges confronting the country's food safety regulatory system. He challenged Environmental Health Practitioners to rise to the occasion, strengthen their competence and position themselves to effectively protect communities.
According to him, the profession has an important role to play in translating scientific knowledge into practical measures that safeguard public health while urging the Federal, State, and Local Governments to urgently recruit and adequately equip more Environmental Health Officers to strengthen preparedness and effectively respond to emerging outbreaks.
๐๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ-๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ง๐ฎ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ฝ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฏ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐๐
The second speaker, Femi Abolade, MPH, who is based in England and works in Gambling Harm Prevention and Education, spoke on โ๐๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ-๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ต ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ: ๐ง๐๐ฟ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ผ ๐ฃ๐๐ฏ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ต ๐๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป.โ
He stressed the growing importance of evidence in professional practice, noting that assumptions are increasingly being challenged and professionals must be prepared to demonstrate the evidence behind their decisions and interventions.
He also challenged Environmental Health Practitioners to move beyond the ๐ฏ๐น๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ด๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ and take responsibility for the changes they want to see.
His message was that professionals who want to make a difference should not wait for others to act. He acknowledged that doing things differently may attract resistance or criticism, but encouraged practitioners to work for progress rather than simply follow the crowd.
๐๐
๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ณ๐น๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐
The webinar also provided an opportunity for practitioners to share their experiences.
๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ข๐ด๐ต๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ฏ๐ฎ, Deputy Director, Environment Department, Oshimili South LGA, Asaba, stressed the need for Environmental Health Officers to understand their value and maintain integrity in the discharge of their professional responsibilities.
Similarly, ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ง๐ถ๐ท๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ emphasised that the Environmental Health uniform represents the identity of the profession and called on officers to protect that identity, continuously develop themselves and avoid the โ๐ฃ๐๐น๐น ๐๐ถ๐บ ๐๐ผ๐๐ป ๐ฆ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ.โ
The programme also featured an interactive Question and Answer session, allowing participants to engage the speakers and contribute their perspectives to the issues discussed.
๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ต
A major highlight of the celebration was the official launch of ๐ฌ๐ฏ๐ถโ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐
๐ ๐๐ ๐จ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ต๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, the first book authored by Sanitarian Osimade Olayinka Awotola.
The book was officially launched by the Permanent Secretary, Ogun State Ministry of Environment, Dr. Kafayat Lawal, marking another significant moment in the celebration and highlighting the importance of documenting and sharing professional knowledge within Environmental Health.
The World Environmental Health Day 2026 webinar demonstrated that beyond celebrating the profession, there is a growing need for evidence-based practice, professional development, responsibility, knowledge sharing and stronger community-focused Environmental Health action.
๐๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ ๐ช๐ผ๐ฟ๐น๐ฑ ๐๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ต ๐๐ฎ๐!
Sanitarian Akinolรก Olรบwarantimi Femi Abolade Asonibare Adenike ฤwร Lรจwe Abajo Wasiu Aramide IFEH Environmental Health Council of Nigeria Federal Ministry of Environment Federal Ministry of Health Nigeria
