By Adeola Ogunlade
As part of the measures toward galvanising and mobilising young people toward a green environment, the Centre for 21st Century in partnership with Community Action Against Plastic Waste has launched an eco-friendly club tagged Green Club in Damiland School, Ogun State.
The event took place last week at the school premises in commemoration of World Environment Day. It had over 100 students from the school which featured a seminar, on the planting of varieties of trees and a talk on the management of waste products.
Speaking at the event, the General Manager of LASPARK, Mrs Adetoun Popoola has said that she said that we have only one planet earth and we have to take care of it. We have to mobilise everyone, including young people on how to take care of our environment.
She noted that tree planting helps to beautify, health and webbing and mitigation the growing effect of climate change.
She posited that the state government is poised to plant 50, 000 trees by the end of this nation as its remains the best option toward mitigating the growing effect of global warming
While informing that tree planting is one of the cheapest nature-based climate action solutions, the General Manager disclosed that there will be ceremonial Tree Planting at designated locations which will be done by the Governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu and his Deputy, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hazmat as well as their wives.
She added that trees will also be planted simultaneously across all 57 Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas, the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources and the Environmental Agencies of the State Government.
The General Manager affirmed that LASPARK’s vision for a greener and healthier Lagos will contribute in no small measure to achieving a Healthy and Sustainable Environment as captured in the policy thrust of the present administration, stressing that as the custodian of open spaces in Lagos, the Agency has brought into its fold more green partners to support and advance the greenery initiatives of the State Government.
She emphasised that the alliance is considered a key infrastructural support to the State government’s strides in creating a more sustainable and economically viable city through Public-Private Partnership, asserting that the Agency is still open to individual and private sector partnerships and collaborations to enable it to achieve more set goals and objectives.
In her words, the Executive Director of the Centre for 21st Century, Titi Akosa said that the green club is an initiative of the Centre for 21st Century Issues under its Climate Action Project, designed to get young people engaged in action towards advancing environmental sustainability in Nigeria.
Akosa said that as a strong instrument of change in any society, young people will form different groups in selected private secondary schools, colleges and higher education. A member of the Green Club will be called, Green Champions and Green Ambassadors.
“They will be empowered through group discussion, training, seminars and debates, to be able to get engaged in several activities geared towards advancing climate action and global environmental sustainability. It will be a forum through which young people, particularly students can reach out to influence, and engage their peers, parents and communities to promote sound environmental behaviours.
She added that the club in each school will be made up of teachers, who coordinate the activities and motivate students.