Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has reaffirmed the government’s dedication to addressing climate change by launching an initiative to plant 5,000 trees within the next year. This commitment was made during the 2024 Tree Planting Day ceremony held at Lagos House Marina on Sunday.
The event, themed “Nurture the Future,” emphasised the importance of taking proactive measures to combat the impacts of climate change. Governor Sanwo-Olu stressed the need for collective efforts to mitigate its effects, highlighting the significance of tree planting in this endeavour.
“As a government, we should be able to plant 5,000 trees in the next 12 months.
“It’s something that we must as a government deliberately set out a strategy to do. Tree planting should be a daily, weekly and monthly activity, we shouldn’t wait for another year,” he said.
The governor called on Mrs Adetoun Popoola, General Manager, Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency (LASPAK), to ensure that planting of trees in the state is not just a yearly event.
I have encouraged her to come up with an efficient scheme that both the private and public sector will work on.”
In his remarks, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, said the event underscored the efforts to protect the future, while taking full ownership to develop a better environmental habit for a quality impact on climate change.
“As a government, it is our collective responsibility that we develop strategic methods to improve the environment, ensure that it is flood free and make it conducive for residents.
“This can be achieved through the continuous cleaning of the environment from time to time. It is our goal today to further educate residents on the need to take ownership of their environment and ensure that they continuously clean surroundings, dispose of waste responsibly.
“We acknowledge that we must sustain this as our own contribution toward maintaining a sustainable environment,” the commissioner said.
In a vote of thanks, Popoola said she and her team would ensure that tree planting was not just a yearly event.
“I wish to give special gratitude to Mr. Governor for taking out time to participate in this year’s event and equally thank the commissioner for his unwavering support to the agency and in championing all environmental issues in the state.
“Our theme, “Nurture our Future”, is therefore a call to action. It is a reminder that the decisions we make today will shape the world we leave for future generations,” she said.
