Our Reporter
Lagos State Government has taken the advocacy on impacts of climate change to the young ones in the state, with a call for urgent and drastic actions in mitigating the overbearing effects on the environment.
Speaking at a seminar organised at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry Conference Centre at Alausa, Ikeja, Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources Mr. Tunji Bello said that the programme was meant to catch them young and sensitise the young ones towards environmental sustainability.
He said that as a pro-active government, the state government had implemented its resolutions in the areas of intensive advocacy, annual massive tree planting exercises and construction of effective drainage channels to curtail flood, improve waste management complemented with recycling programmes and exploration of renewable energy sources among others.
The commissioner, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Office of the Environment, Mrs. Ibironke Belinda, added: “The impact of climate change can result in problems with food security and may threaten livelihood activities upon which much of the population depends. In other words, reduction in food production will affect well-being and productivity.”
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Analysing the concept of climate change, Bello said the mounting pressure on natural resources, dwindling wild life, rising world population and forms of pollution called for change towards the environment and water resources, adding that as a result the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources created the Environmental Education department with the responsibility of dealing with environmental infraction issues and sustainability.
The guest lecturer, a renowned environmentalist, Mr. Ayo Tella, took the pupils through lectures on the concept, impact and preventive measure to ensure a safe planet.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Environment, Mr. Segun Samuel, said that the climate change sensitisation became necessary to educate the younger ones from tender age on the importance of greening in the society and why they must make it a way of life.
He added that the Lagos State Government is determined to take the sensitisation to schools across the state in order to get the support of the future generations towards environmental sustainability.
One of the participants, Miss Blessing Saheed from Omole Senior Secondary School, said the programme was educative.
She promised to desist from the activities that destroyed the ozone layer.
Blessing said she would go back to educate her colleagues, neighbours and family members to stop cooking with fire woods, to stop bush burning, to stop waste burning in order to save the environment from being destroyed further.
The seminar was attended by pupils and teachers from the six education districts and selected private schools.
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