SustyVibes, a youth-driven organisation promoting sustainability in Africa, has mobilised thousands of young people across 10 states in Nigeria for its 2025 Street Conference, spotlighting the growing crisis of textile waste pollution.
The annual event, held on World CleanUp Day and sponsored by the UPS Foundation, carried the theme “Strive for Five”, a concept rooted in research that suggests when five percent of a community commits to action, it can spark a cultural shift in sustainable practices.
This year’s focus was on textile waste, one of the country’s fastest-growing environmental challenges. With the rise of fast fashion, Nigeria’s landfills and open dumps are increasingly overwhelmed by discarded, non-biodegradable clothing, which worsens pollution and contributes to flooding in urban areas.
Aniebiet Obot, projects and partnerships director at SustyVibes, noted that the Street Conference has, since 2016, provided a platform for youths, communities, and authorities to come together in championing environmental stewardship
“In line with this year’s World Cleanup Day, SustyVibes, supported by the UPS Foundation and working in partnership with UPS Nigeria, challenged Nigerian households and businesses to rethink what is typically considered waste, such as textile offcuts, used plastics, and bottles.
“These can be easily transformed into valuable products like jewellery, bags, or flowerpots, as demonstrated during the DIY (do-it-yourself) training sessions provided to stakeholders,” Obot said.
The 2025 edition was hosted simultaneously in Lagos, Abuja, Adamawa, Kaduna, Kwara, Abia, Imo, Enugu, Rivers, and Ilorin, with over 570 volunteers, mostly youths, leading activities ranging from clean-up drives to upcycling workshops.
Participants also engaged in “Intervibes” sessions, where local insights and data on waste management practices were gathered.
Altogether, the effort resulted in the collection of over 2,724 kilograms of waste across the 10 cities. Beyond clean-ups, the conference encouraged community members to adopt sustainable habits such as recycling, upcycling, and sustainable fashion practices.
SustyVibes believes that by mobilising 5 percent of citizens as environmental leaders, these young changemakers can influence the remaining 95 percent of their communities to embrace a waste-free lifestyle.
