Lagos commissioner advocates cleaner environment

The Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tunji Bello, has called for a cleaner environment in the country.

The commissioner, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental Services, Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, Tajudeen Gaji, made the call at the just concluded foundation climate change art exhibition organised by Our Tomorrow Non-Governmental Organisation, held in Lagos, on Thursday.

According to Bello, information technology and social media have helped in exposing children to the dangers of climate change.

He said, “I am impressed with the artwork being exhibited here. My takeaway from this is that children know about these issues of climate that we ordinarily assume. And I thank the organisers for this initiative. You can see the ingenuity being expressed through these works of art. They have creatively highlighted the dangers of climate change and proffered solutions. This is wonderful and we are encouraged by it.

Advertisement

“You are aware that Lagos State, because of its topography, is threatened by rising sea levels. But as a government, we have continued to take necessary measures to mitigate the threats and combat climate change. In the ministry, one thing we insist on is that every project executed in the state conforms to our environmental impact assessment.

“Environment is one of the priority areas of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration. He has committed a lot of resources to build drainages and other supporting infrastructure, and the effort is bearing fruits.”

The commissioner further urged the participants to reach out once they see something out of place in the environment, adding that the essential thing is the protection of the environment.

He stressed that a cleaner environment was needed which would result in a better life, good health, and a liveable city for Nigerians.

He added, “We need to take care of our environment by sorting our wastes, which makes it easier for wastes to be managed, put to good use, and well recycled.”

The Founder, Our Tomorrow NGO, Chukwuemeka Obasi, noted that the idea was to create awareness among the younger generation about the dangers that climate change poses to society so that they would begin early to adopt behavioural changes, and add their voices to the demand for governments to take more action.

“Of course, if climate change is not tackled, it is going to significantly affect the quality of lives that we live. We are going to see more floods, droughts, conflicts and so on. So, it is important that governments across the world speed up efforts to tackle these issues.

“On our part, we’ve been trying to create awareness; to bring attention to these issues with a view to compelling action. We believe that as more young people join their voices, more can be achieved in this regard.”

Speaking at the event, the Lagos State Commissioner for Information, Gbenga Omotosho, said the event was another way of reminding people that climate change was real, and from the exhibitions, it was heart-warming to know that even kids understood what was being talked about, and how endangered the planet was.

He added, “As I always say, the greatest legacy that we can leave for our children and the generations unborn is an earth that is natural, beautiful and able to support life. This is why all of us must understand that climate change is real and begin to do something about it.

“The fact that this is coming from young people is very encouraging. The creativity portrayed in these exhibitions is remarkable. It shows that the children understand what the issues are about, and what we should do to tackle them. We should encourage them so that collectively, we can tackle climate change.”