The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal has assured Nigerians of prompt and determined implementation of environmental projects.

Lawal communicated this at the maiden meeting with environment correspondents on Thursday in Abuja.

He said the ministry would collaborate with relevant stakeholders to deliver on its mandate.

"We are going to be aggressive with the implementation of the projects in the environment ministry.

"We are going to start a new community development in Ogoniland where we will get the community involved in the cleanup-the traditional institutions, youths and stakeholders.

"Ogoni is just one out of other places in the country that has these issues of environmental pollution."

According to Lawal, it has been eight years that the cleanup of Ogoniland has been on and expressed optimism that the environmental challenges faced in Ogoniland will soon be resolved.

He said there were plans to curb desert encroachment with the help of the National Great Green Wall Agency but appealed to the Federal Government on security.

"We have agencies like the Great Green Wall that has been trying to address issues of desert encroachment and the planting of trees to discourage deforestation."

The minister said that the ministry would collaborate to curb the activities of loggers as well.

He said that in the area of waste recycling, the ministry would ensure that garbage was turned to wealth and would also collaborate with the state governments on waste management.

Lawal urged residents to take care of their environment by ensuring it was rid of dirt.

"We are the ones that cause some of the environmental issues by littering the places with dirt."

The minister said that partnership would be carried out with all its agencies and stakeholders to mitigate climate change.

NAN