“To have an environment that we will be proud of is everybody’s business.” – Jonathan Olakunle.
An unstoppable change agent! Nigerian environmentalist Jonathan is a real life hero out to create better good for the betterment of all.
While his everyday undertaking might not feature trading fists and throwing slick blows with real life villains,
complemented gleefully with powers of the supernatural, his deeds, selflessly combing the streets of his community and ridding it of littered garbage paving way for better health is nothing short of admirable.
Based in Osogbo, Osun State, Jonathan, driven by the dire need to rid the environs of spilling unsightly waste at every corner, and burdened by the seemingly unbothered residents who are rather accepting of the situation as a normal way of life, he clads himself like Marvel superhero Spiderman,
swinging into action, cleaning his community with his armour: rake, waste pans, bin bags, etc fighting against littering and therefore the avoidable spread of diseases like lassa fever, cholera, malaria which has led to many many deaths.
Having held a strong dislike for dirty environments, Jonathan who effortlessly cleans his home, one day decided to spread the deed outside to the streets, this was the beginning of his longtime community service. Since 2004 he kicked off his environmental cleaning exercise and has never looked back.
On reason he dons on the Spiderman costume, Jonathan says it’s a tactic to create awareness and draw people’s attention, calling on them not just as spectators but as participants in the move for a cleaner Nigeria. In contrast he noticed when clad with his everyday attire, people are hesitant to be a part of the cleaning process. So he then decided to stick to the spiderman costume plan, so they would through admiration be drawn to the course and become individual heroes fighting against a contaminated environment.
Not just does he do the cleaning, he also calls on his excited audience to join in, enlightening them through reorientation to inculcate cleanliness via his example, so we all can live healthier, happier lives.
Although more recently, thankfully he is getting his well-deserved recognition and has been featured by various media outlets including the BBC
Jonathan Olakunle is on a mission to change the belief that Africans are dirty. According to him, the laxity of regulation bodies, and sanitation officials paying visits to homes on a regular basis have contributed to the menace.
