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Tag: environment

  • Council urges residents on environment

    Council urges residents on environment

    Determined to ensure the health of its residents, the Ikeja Local Government Area of Lagos State has carried out environmental sensitisation programme which will guarantee environmental cleanliness in the area, which, in turn, will engender good health for the citizens.

    During the programme, the Executive Secretary of the council, Mr. Adekunle Dally-Adeokun called on the residents to co-operate with the council in its efforts to rid the area of waste, so as to promote healthy environment.

    He spoke during the environmental sanitation exercise held at the council headquarter recently, even as he said he would work towards ensuring that residents of various communities have attitudinal change on the environment.

    Represented by his wife, Layide, he expressed the council’s discontent over the nonchalant attitudes of some of the residents who have formed the habit of dumping domestic wastes indiscriminately.

    Stressing that unfriendly habit towards the environment could cause serious health hazards to the people, Mr Dally-Adeokun said such unhealthy trend could hamper the people’s productivity, which invariably could affect the well-being of their families and the entire community.

    “A time has come in history when we must shape our actions with a more prudent care for the environment. Through ignorance or indifference, we can do massive and irreversible harm to the earthly environment on which our lives and well-being depend. Conversely, through fuller knowledge and wiser actions, we can achieve for ourselves and our posterity a better life in keeping with human needs and hopes,” Mr. Dally-Adeokun said.

    He revealed that the council plans to enlighten the residents of communities within the council area on the importance of clean environment through radio and television jingles.

    The Deputy Executive Secretary, Prince Oluranti Olufon and other officials of the council participated in the exercise.

    Sanitation tools such as shovels, brooms, rakes and waste disposal nylons were distributed to some residents to encourage them to keep their environments clean.

    Mr Dally-Adeokun advised residents to dispose of their domestic wastes properly, even as he warned against blocking drainage channels by dumping garbage in them. This, he said, triggers health problems as well as flooding.

    Linking poverty with the environment, Dally-Adeokun said “environmental pundits have raised an alarm that our environment is constantly under threats and evidences show that it equally has numerous problems affecting it. They reeled off these problems to include pollution, acid rain, global warning, destruction of rainforests and other wild habitats, the decline and extinction of thousands of species of animals and plants. This, invariably will lead to poverty and hunger since some of these animals and plants are sources of livelihood for people. If their assertion is unquestionable, then there is a strong link between poverty and environment.”

    Also speaking, Prince Olufon said the council was worried by some residents’ non-compliance to proper waste disposal system, even as he expressed the council’s concern over indiscriminate dumping of garbage in water channels by some residents which could have devastating effects on the residents.

    He therefore urged members of various communities to ensure clean environment, saying dirty environment poses threat to the health of the citizens.

    The Head of Environmental Services and Waste Management Unit, Mr. Kolawale Ajanaku said the people are always enlightened on what are expected of them in terms of keeping the environment clean.

    Meanwhile, the council officials inspected some streets such as Obafemi Awolowo, Seriki Aro, Alariogun ,Shanu and Oluwole Philips Avenue, among others to during the exercise.

  • Sterling Bank’s workers clean environment

    Sterling Bank’s workers clean environment

    Sterling Bank Plc’s workers at the weekend carried out a nationwide environmental cleaning as part of the bank’s “Sterling Environmental Makeover” (#STEM) series.

    The exercise,  part of the bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, focuses on environmental sustainability and aims at promoting a clean environment and good health among the citizens.

    In Lagos, the exercise saw the workers in collaboration with officials of the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) cleaning a section of the famous Ladipo spare parts market on Oshodi Apapa Expressway to the delight of the traders, who also joined in the exercise.

    Other locations, where the exercise went on simultaneously include Ochanja Area at Anambra; Agodi Gate, Ibadan; Durumi Abuja; Bata market Kano; Elelenwo Akpaja road Port Harcourt and Behind Ogbogonogo Market Delta.

    In these locations, according to a statement, the workers undertook the exercise, which many of them said was a great avenue for them to make a difference.

    The bank said it planned to extend the initiative to other parts of the country in subsequent editions. Other states included in the scheme are Kaduna, Delta, Ogun and Enugu.

    Its Executive Director, Finance & Strategy, Mr. Abubakar Suleiman, in an interview with reporters at the event, said the bank started the exercise in 2013 in furtherance of its core purpose of enriching lives.

    He added that the bank would continue to engage in initiatives that promote a healthy environment, especially those that promote healthy living through its renowned partnership with relevant government agencies.

    His words: “What we are doing is all about impacting our environment positively. We want to keep on doing the small things, while we plan for the big, audacious ones. Each time you reach out to a child, mentor a troubled teen or join street sweepers to clean the street, you are part of an unstoppable force to make our country a better place and that is what we want to achieve with this exercise.”

    As part of its campaign designed to ensure a clean environment, the bank has on a yearly basis in the last five years donated 25,000 units of reflective kits to LAWMA for street sweepers and highway managers.  The Managing Director of LAWMA, Mr. Tunde Oresanya at the presentation of kits to the highway managers and sweepers lauded the bank for being a major partner in the authority’s success story.

  • Show more concern for environment, Ambode urges residents

    Show more concern for environment, Ambode urges residents

    LAGOS State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has urged the public to work towards attaining sustainable environment.

    He spoke during the World Environment Day (WED) with the theme: “Seven billion dreams. One planet. Consume with care.”

    The governor noted that the new perspective of the world is that ecology and economics are two sides of the same coin, adding that it is impossible to continue to do business at the expense of nature without compromising the sustainability of its resources.

    “If the environment is not in harmony with our ambition, then we must change our ambition to be in perfect harmony with the environment. This is the wisdom we require to live peacefully on earth. We recognise the fact that mother earth can survive without us but we cannot survive without her,” he said.

    The governor enjoined Lagosians to rise up and save the environment so that people can enjoy healthy and sustainable life on the planet, adding that the alteration in the environment was affecting the wellbeing of people every single moment.

    He said: “To solve the problems of the environment, everyone on earth must act; it is not the government business, it is not some people’s business, it is everybody’s business. It is one world, one environment; the problems of the environment transcends boundary. An error by one is a serious concern for all.”

    Ambode noted that this year’s theme was instructive because it is about resource efficiency and sustainable consumption, especially with the world’s population estimated at over seven billion.

    “The food we eat, the materials we use for diverse purposes, our shelter and many more are all from this same planet. It is evident that we are consuming more than the planet can sustainably provide. It is only reasonable for us to ensure that we do it with care and conserve,” the governor urged.

    Permanent Secretary Office of Environmental Services, Hakeem Ogunbambi,  said the state government had prioritised the environment through policies and programmes such as the institutionalisation of tree planting exercise with over five million trees planted to date, landscaping and beautification of open spaces, international summit on climate change, launching of climate change clubs in Lagos schools, improved waste management, renewable energy, drainage construction and waste water management.

    The World Environment Day is celebrated on June 5 yearly. It was celebrated for the first time in 1973 with “Only one earth” as theme.

  • Why we held exhibition, by built environment exhibitors

    Organisers of a built environment exhibition with theme ‘Unique Beyond Borders’held in Lagos said it was aimed at helping professionals perfect their art.

    The exhibition, which lasted for three days, had some important dignitaries, such as Mrs. Debola Majekodumi the vision founder, Mrs. Folake Onabolu, the Permanent Secretary in the Lagos State Civil Service who represented the state government.

    Welcoming the participants and the invited guests, the Chairman of the event, Chief Olu Falomo, explained the importance of Unique Interiors in Nigeria. He said the system has been in existence for more than 20 years but that the challenges of setting up something like this in Nigeria could be frustrating.

    “I want to particularly thank and admire Architect Debola Majekodumi who has being battling with this event year in year out for over 20 years. I admire her fighting spirit and perseverance for the success of the unique exhibition which has come to stay,” he said.

    Mrs. Onabolu said: “The timing of this exhibition is unique itself because it is coinciding with the inevitable changes that Lagos state and the Nation as a whole are witnessing because we have witnessed an atmosphere of change from the outgoing administration to the incoming administration and most of all, we have voted for change for the better and that is what the country has been yawning for. I know this exhibition will stand the test of time because it is the 12th edition and I hope it continues to be better.”

    The exhibition, which was declared opened by Mrs. Folake Onabolu, the Permanent Secretary in the Lagos State Civil Service gave participants the opportunity to showcase their products. Exhibitors at the event were Dofas Technological Nigeria Ltd, Lange and Grant, Jiuhua Nigeria Company Ltd, Sandtex Intratex, Literior Light Fittings Interiors, Voda Paints, Margin Scribes Limited, Global Corp Ltd, among others.

    Debola Majekodumi, an architect, the vision founder of the exhibition said: “The interior design market is a growing market that can be improved on, but the exhibition is for the built environment which includes architecture, interior design, and Facility management, we are trying to make interior products and services more accessible to the Nigerian Public in order to help create awareness and publicity for exhibiting companies and educate the visitors on built environment service through the seminars and exhibition.”

    She added: “We are trying to create awareness platforms but some of the challenges we encounter is the issue of conveying and educating potential exhibitors on difference between exhibition and trade fairs or expo’s where sales are meant to be made at the point. The fuel crisis has been a challenge but I thank God that we were able to achieve a lot with this year’s exhibition.”

  • Bayer, HarvestField partner on pest-free environment

    A firm, HarvestField Industries Limited, has sealed a deal with Bayer Environment Science, a German-based subsidiary of Bayer Pharmaceuticals of Germany.

    The partnership entails the training of environmental health officials, stakeholders in the pest and rodent control business, officials of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the public.

    It also includes the introduction to the selling and administration of modern pest and rodent control drugs. So far, over 150 stakeholders had been trained.

    The Country Group Manager, Sub-Saharan Africa, Bayer Environmental Science, Mr. Sylvestre Jobic, told The Nation that the firm was alsointroducing some products into Nigeria to control rodents and cockroaches.

    The products include Max Force Gel, a phenomenal product for cockroaches; Tempo, a liquid insecticide to control general insect menace, and Rodilon, used for rodents control.

    Jobic said the firm decided to partner the firm to introduce the brand because of the potential and the size of the country, which he reckons, makes it attractive for a any company.

    Besides, he said Bayer has since realised that there was a need for such modern product because most of the products available in the market were old.

    He assured that the products from were registered by NAFDAC, efficacious, and unrivaled.

    “What we bring into the market is a new way of controlling cockroaches. So, instead of spraying insecticide in your kitchen for instance, you just apply what we call “bait point” by attracting the cockroaches to the bait. Before the cockroach dies it, it would have interacted with its colony and would transmit the drug to the others in its colony. So, even though the other cockroach did not contact the gel directly, it would have contacted it from the other cockroach; this is called the domino effect. This is entirely new in the market. In rat control, we introduced a new system which is the wax block, considering its nature. The wax block we introduced is water proof,” Jobic explained, adding that the products are safe for human beings and the environment.

    Also, the Managing Director, HarvestField Industries Limited, Mr. Martins Awofisayo, said most drugs being used for pest control were not certified. He said many people were ignorant of the type of product they should use to control pests, rodents and insecticides in their homes, which he said borders on cost. This, he said, necessitated the partnership with Bayer, a task that has taken four years to actualise.

    “There is need to emphasise the  challenges of costs associated with the use of Public Health Grade pest control products as against the use of Agro chemical grade products for domestic use. We need to bring to the attention of government authorities to support the reduction of import duties ( 25% + 5% VAT on categories of public health grade products on pests that carries deceases, such as Lassa  Fever, Asthma, and Malaria) whilst agro chemicals carries five per cent duty only and no VAT payable. This has made agrochemical grade products a lot cheaper and thereby encourages its wrong use by Pest Control Operators,” Awofisayo noted.

    With the partnership, he is confident that Nigerian homes can now get quality products to make their homes free of rodents and cockroaches.

     

  • Why environment must be protected from poison, by don

    Why environment must be protected from poison, by don

    To build healthy communities, poisons and other harmful substances must be controlled from polluting the environment, a don, Prof Francis Ezeonu, has said.

    He was delivering the 25th inaugural lecture of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) in Awka, Anambra State.

    The event, held at the university auditorium, was attended by the Deputy Governor, Dr. Nkem Okeke; a former vice chancellor of the institution, Prof. Ilochi Okafor, principal officers and academics.

    Ezeonu, who is of the Department of Biochemistry, delivered a lecture titled: Poisons in the Nigerian environment: Within our reach, beyond our control. He described poison as a substance that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when absorbed in sufficient quantity by the organism.

    According to the lecturer, people who lived in traditional African societies enjoyed a healthy life and a safe environment. He said they contended only with natural hazards, which he said could arise from animal poisons and plant toxins.

    Ezeonu said: “European contact with Africa has increased the black man’s burden on poisons through man-made hazards. Industrialisation and consumerism have imposed enormous strain on traditional habits and practices, leading to a large dependence on foreign drugs, foods and chemicals.”

    Processes associated with modernisation and industrialisation, he said, had compromised Africa’s safe environment. The don said African environment had been poisoned with chemical wastes, herbicides, pesticides, chemical fertiliser and oil pollutants imported. The condition, he said, was worsened by poor sanitation, poor solid waste management, pollution, soil degradation and declining aquatic life, among others.

    On why the nation could not control harmful substances, Prof Ezeonu said there has not been quality research to make it happen. He said: “Nigerian universities are poorly rated, largely because they lack the necessary tools and equipment for quality research. Our laboratories are poorly equipped and lack the requisite instruments to identify poisons. Nigerian research institutions are not sufficiently equipped to meet the challenges of regulating poisons and this should call for concern.”

    He urged scholars to rise up to the challenge to save the country from imminent danger being posed by presence of uncontrolled harmful substances in the environment.

    •The Nation’s Management Accountant, Mr Abdulhameed Odunaye (middle) with Afolabi Olatunde (left) and Norbert Amu during their Convocation for Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) at the University of Lagos (UNILAG)
    •The Nation’s Management Accountant, Mr Abdulhameed Odunaye (middle) with Afolabi Olatunde (left) and Norbert Amu during their Convocation for Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) at the University of Lagos (UNILAG)

    The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Joseph Ahaneku, described the lecturer as a world-acclaimed scholar, noting that the lecture had opened the eyes of members of the audience to the danger posed by poison in the country. He urged collaboration to rid the environment of harmful pollutants.

    Highpoint of the event was the decoration of Ezeonu and past inaugural lecturers by the VC.

  • Asthma: How lifestyle, environment trigger attacks

    Asthma: How lifestyle, environment trigger attacks

    Certain foods, allergens, dust and other irritants are the biggest triggers of asthma attacks according to health experts. These triggers lead to breathlessness, wheezing, chest tightness and nighttime or early morning coughing which are the main signs of asthma, a disease that affects the lungs. In asthma, the airways, which are tubes that carry air into and out of the lungs, are inflamed. The inflammation makes the airways to narrow, causing less air to flow into the lungs, triggering asthma symptoms like breathlessness, coughing, wheezing and others.

    Asthma affects people of all ages, but it most often starts during childhood. The disease affects about 300 million people worldwide, causing an estimated 250,000 deaths annually. In the past thirty years, there has been a wide increase in the prevalence rate due to rapid urbanization and other environmental factors.

    In Nigeria for instance, asthma was uncommon in the country fifty years ago. Recent reports from different parts of the country, however show a prevalence of adolescent and adult asthma in excess of 10 percent and a rising trend in the prevalence of asthma. This increase in burden of asthma, according to experts, has been attributed to environmental factors such as urbanization, industrialization and adoption of western life style.

    To Dr Saheed Babajide, a medical practitioner, “asthma is a chronic respiratory problem. It is caused by a constriction in the bronchus from allergic reaction which makes the patient not to be able to breath in and out. It is difficulty in breathing. It can be likened to somebody that is a sickler. Some can have it early. Some can develop it through the environment and due to allergic reaction. That is exposure to things that can make the bronchos to contract.”

    Living with attacks

    Miss Comfort Agu, an undergraduate in one of the higher institutions in the country is one of the millions of asthma sufferers in Nigeria. The lady had her first attack at sixteen in secondary school. “I was not born with the disease, neither do we have a family history of asthmatics. But one day, I slumped in the school laboratory and was rushed to the hospital, where it was discovered that I’m asthmatic. Since then, I have been having frequent attacks, especially when I’m exposed to those things I react to,” she disclosed. She confessed that it was not easy living with the ailment because of the attacks which can be uncomfortable and embarrassing especially ‘when I’m in a public place.’

    To manage the disease which has no cure, experts advocate early detection. “The best way is early detection and once that is done, you start medication that would usually take care of it,” advised Dr O. Salau, a medical practitioner. Continuing, he stated: “It does not have a cure. There could be some things that the patient reacts to, so you would need to know those things so that they can be avoided. The commonness things are dust, smoke and maybe food.”

    On the role of genetics in asthma, Dr Nnenna Oluge, a medical doctor stated: “It tends to run in families. Genetics play an important role in causing asthma. If your mom or dad have asthma, then you are more likely to have asthma.”

    Describing what happens during an attack, Oluge added: “Asthma can pose a lot of risk to a patient’s health if not well managed. And when an asthmatic patient has an attack, which occurs suddenly, the patient experiences what is called in medical term, ‘constricted hyposic oxygen deficiency’ and if the patient does not get immediate medical attention, the patient can go into coma, which could also lead to death. Poor asthma management can lead to airway remodeling. Airway remodeling is a serious condition that happens when asthma is untreated or poorly managed. The lungs become scarred, asthma medicines do not work as well, and less air is able to move through the airways. Airway remodeling does not have to happen. You can avoid it by taking control of your asthma!”

    Asthma sufferers, Oluge stated can however live normal lives with proper management and medication. “Asthma is a serious health problem but being asthmatic does not prevent you from living a normal life as long as you avoid those things that can trigger an attack. In fact, an asthmatic patient that takes positive steps to avoid substances that trigger an attack, can live without having any attack. An asthmatic patient can engage in sports activities, as long as there are preventive measures to avoid future attacks. When you breathe, air passes through your nose and down your throat into your lungs. Inside your lungs are branching tubes called airways. With asthma, the airways are often swollen and red (or inflamed). This makes them extra sensitive to things that you are exposed to in the environment every day or asthma ‘triggers’. A trigger could be a cold, the weather or things in the environment such as dust, chemicals, smoke and pet dander.”

    When someone with asthma breathes in a trigger, the insides of the airways make extra mucus and swell even more. This narrows the space for the air to move in and out of the lungs. The muscles that wrap around your airways can also tighten, making breathing even harder.”

     Avoiding triggers

    Experts have identified certain risk factors or triggers in asthma attack. A trigger is anything which starts asthma symptoms or makes asthma symptoms worse. These include food, environment (air pollution from industries, car effluents), lifestyle, pets, allergens among others. On this Salau says: “Cleaning dusty areas is likely to affect an asthmatic person. Even when you wash clothes, the smell of soap can cause it. If you are in an environment with lots of dust it could lead to it. Some people are allergic to sea foods and others and if you work in an industrial environment when there is always smoke, it can lead to an attack.”

    To Oluge, contact with allergens, certain irritants or exposure to viral infections as an infant or in early childhood when the immune system is developing, have been linked to developing asthma. “Environmental irritants and air pollution may also play a significant role in adult-onset asthma. Furs from animals could also trigger an attack,” said the doctor.

    On preventing attacks, she advised: “The first preventive measure is to identify what triggers your asthma, because different people react to different things. Avoid your asthma triggers, monitor your symptoms or check your airways using a peak flow meter. Asthma is episodic; the patient may experience on and off periods. There are drugs to help expand airways and also injectable drugs and a machine called enabler.”

    But it is always advisable to visit your doctor regularly to help manage your asthma. Without proper treatment, asthma can be extremely dangerous and even fatal.”

    Some of the most common asthma triggers include tobacco smoke, dust mites, outdoor air pollution, allergens from cockroaches and rodents, pets, mold, smoke from wood, grass and other sources. Others are fragrances from perfumes, soaps and body lotions, some food and food additives, sinus infections, allergies, some medicines, breathing in cold, dry air among others.

  • Climate change summit: What impact on the environment?

    Climate change summit: What impact on the environment?

    Climate change is still a global challenge. Over the last six years, the government of Lagos State has held summits to tackle the phenomenon. Its seventh edition is scheduled for next week in Lagos. How impactful have these summits been? MUYIWA LUCAS asks.

    WHEN the Governor Babatunde Fashola administration in Lagos State introduced a summit aimed at addressing pressing issues on the climate, not many agreed less that it was a step in the right direction.

    Following six successful editions of the forum that sought to explore the challenges and opportunities of climate change in the state in particular and the world in general, its organisers are now attempting to evaluate its gains with a view to charting a way forward.

    Analysts say the fact that the seventh edition of the summit is coming towards the end of the tenure of the administration of its originator, Fashola, is an indication that the summit has come to stay.

    Partcipants at the previous editions say it has been impactful, especially as it has given room for policy makers to plan for unforseen occurrences.

    For instance, at the maiden edition of the summit in 2009, the governor had lamented that it become difficult to draw a line between the rainy season and dry season, just as farm harvests were no longer predictable and bountiful. Aqua life, he added, had been depleted to the extent that certain species of fish were no longer available on the  table. These, he said, were the effects of climate change.

    Events that unfolded after 2009 seem to have proved him right. For example, on July 10, 2011, for 16 hours non-stop, Lagos experienced a torrential rainfall. This justified the concerns of Lagosians and also served as a wake up call to the reality of climate change and the need for stakeholders to proffer solution to its menace.  To date, that July 10 rainfall remains unprecedented in the history of the state.

    The government has since embarked on proactive measures to combat flooding by developing an all-year construction, maintenance and dredging of canals and drainage channels. This has, for the third year, elicited the commendation of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) as the only state in the federation to come up with a comprehensive drainage/de-flooding programme.

    The maiden summit, attended by over 700 participants drawn from various stakeholder groups in both the public and private sectors, raised public awareness as well as trained the trainers on issues of climate change and the danger it poses to human development.

    The summit also provided a platform for national and international experts to exchange ideas on best practices in mitigation and adaptation measures to address the challenge of climate change, essentially also to agree on joint action by all and sundry.

    At the summit, Fashola  urged the Ministry of the Environment to ensure the continuity the summit as well as the full implementation of all its outcome, particularly the mitigation and adaptation strategies for climate change impacts in the state.  The 2009 Summit had ten Plenary Sessions during which papers were presented and Panel Discussions held on Global Climate Change Overview: Challenges and Prospects; Governance and Climate Change; Climate Change and Public Health; Climate Change, Sea Level Rise and Coastal Adaptation as sub-themes.

    Others include Climate Change and Food Security; Climate Change and Energy; Climate Change and Waste Management; Climate Change and Urban Development; Climate Change and the Imperative of Adaptation, and Partnership in Climate Change Adaptation: Prospects for a German (Bavarian) -Lagos State Collaboration.

     

    Recommendations

    At the end of the summit, the communiqué asked the state to develop a State Climate Change Action Plan with a vision to drive the major changes that would be necessary to combat change in climate; the government should partner with and support the private sector to encourage them to capitalise on the opportunities under climate change mitigation and adaptation options to transit to the low carbon (green) economy.

    Others are that the state’s approach to climate change should integrate closely with national actions and promote progressive and forward-looking, growth-oriented policies tailored to the  state’s specific development needs; all levels of government in the state should be involved in raising awareness that Lagosians can take to combat  the  impact of climate change.

    It was also recommended that the state government should establish and fund mechanisms for research and studies on climate change and its impacts on all sectors of the state’s economy in order to provide required data and knowledge to drive intervention strategies. Such shall include partnering with private sector and research institutions as appropriate; the state government should embark on upgrading existing, and installation of up-to-date real-time weather monitoring, prediction instruments and early warning systems for the state.

    It also asked the government to institutionalise a comprehensive assessment of the impact of climate change on its development activities, adding that  the government should build capacity to take advantage of the opportunities provided in climate change mitigation and adaptation, particularly in the energy, service, building and transportation sectors, financial services and water sector. The state government, it was also recommended, should initiate steps to incorporate climate change issues in schools curricula at all levels particularly for children and adolescence and should collaborate with international partners for technology transfer on climate change, mitigation  and adaptive strategies.

    The forum also urged the state to develop and implement an energy policy in which a substantial part of electricity is from renewable sources, especially solar, wind and biogas from waste

    Furthermore, it was recommended that the BRT system should be expanded to cope with increased demand and promote further emission reduction; intensify eco-friendly and “green” waste management technological approach and support the private sector for similar initiatives. Appropriate  policies should also be put in place to drive these initiatives and to move towards zero waste, among others.

    The fifth edition of the forum had Vulnerability and adaptability to climate change in Nigeria: Lagos State transportation, housing and infrastructure in Focus as its theme.

    Fashola said the only way to fight and win the war against climate change and global warming was through adaptation and a change in lifestyle.

    Participants focused on measures that would aid adaptation and mitigation, and recommended that the Federal Government should create the enabling environment for the private sector to aggressively tackle climate change through mitigation and adaptation initiatives in the interest of green development. The participants, drawn from different sectors of the economy, charged governments at all levels to properly mainstream climate change into their infrastructural development agenda for sustainability.

    In a communiqué at the end of the 2013 summit, participants recommended that the state should ensure a multi-disciplinary approach to the planning, design, construction and management of urban infrastructure.

    “To make our urban infrastructure climate-resilient, the Lagos State government should continue to pursue the development and implementation of a long-term strategic and inclusive vision that is embedded into the current planning, especially land use allocation, and promote infrastructure with integrated design solutions,” the communique read in part.

    It also encouraged the government to “further strengthen the capacity of its electricity board to pursue its energy conservation initiative; governments at all levels should promote climate-smart agriculture and strengthen capacity of small-holder farmers to mainstream climate change impacts into their activities for the attainment of national food security.”

    Fashola assured that the state government was putting policies and strategies in place to mitigate the effects of climate change in the areas of transportation, housing and infrastructure, and urged everyone to adopt clean development mechanisms.

    The Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, said the objectives of the summit was to promote and sustain an infrastructural system that was environmentally friendly and geared towards reduction in carbon emission.

    It was also aimed at analysing policy instruments for easy adaptation to climate change and mitigation of greenhouse gases’ emissions as they affected transportation and the housing sectors.

     

    Talking shop?

    With the seventh edition in the series kicking off, has the forum become a mere talking shop for policy makers? How well has the state keyed into the benefits of previous editions? What impact have they had on the environment and the citizens? How has the forum immuned the state from the imminent effects of climate change?

    Bello said the achievements in the past six editions of the summit are many.

    He said they include the Draft Lagos State Climate Change Policy Document and Action Plan, Lagos State Adaptation Strategy Documents produced to reinforce actions to address the challenges of climate change; the heightened collaboration with various non-governmental organisations (NGOs), Vulnerability Study on Coastal Areas to Climate Change in the state in conjunction with the United Nations International Development Organisation (UNIDO), the Eko Atlantic Project, Shoreline Protection of the Bar Beach and Rehabilitation of the Drainage Infrastructures in Lagos.

    Others, he observed, include the introduction of Mass Transportation Systems, including Bus-Rapid Transit (BRT) and Light Rail Project, School Advocacy Programme, Yearly School Exchange Programme to Germany (where students from Lagos State public schools, are sponsored to join their counterpart abroad), as well as participation of various government officials at international climate change conferences and events. Additional achievements of the summit include the establishment of waste-to-wealth programmes (such as Nylon Buy-back, Waste-to-Compost and Waste-to-Energy), Annual Tree Planting Campaign, Car Horn-free Campaign, the Greening Programme, and passing of laws to protect the environment.

    “For example, it is now an offence to fell a tree in Lagos, as doing so attracts a fine and the planting of five trees for every fallen tree. Amid the enactment of fresh laws (such as on noise pollution), environmental laws are likewise being harmonised, even as the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) has been elevated to the status of an Agency to enforce environmental laws,” Bello said, adding that  the previous summits have clearly shown that the state’s commitment to the development and evolvement of a climate change conscious society so as to lay the foundations necessary to counteract the global threat.

    Fashola takes delight in these feats, saying that the input of the state government in environmental regeneration and infrastructural development are in furtherance of sustainable environment.

    “In  Lagos, we  have continued to landscape and beautify hitherto open spaces and loops that were then hideouts for miscreants. We have also modernised parks and gardens, as well as established an agency named the Lagos State Parks and Gardens (LASPARK) whose major role is to oversee the parks and gardens in the state and to continue the greening initiatives in order to assure modern town planners that the state is methodically planned with all its resources for an enviable regional national development,” he explained.

    Ths year’s conference has Seven years of Climate Change Governance in Lagos State: Celebrating Success Stories, Reviewing Challenges and Setting Future Agenda as its theme. It holds between April 21 and 24 at the Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

    The summit has, so far, addressed various measures of combating climate effects through various mitigation and adaptation actions, shared best practices across boundaries, and explored inherent business opportunities.

    Also, the vulnerability and adaptability of climate change in major facets of life have been focused upon.

  • Expert advises Buhari on environment, others

    Expert advises Buhari on environment, others

    AN appeal has gone to the President-elect Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) to make environmental issues part of the focus of his administration.

    A member of the Nigeria Environmental Society (NES), Mr Valentine Opone, who made the appeal in Lagos, said Buhari should put environmental management in his draft policy.

    He said: “As we know, human anthropological activity is tremendously causing global warming and the environment must be cared for for sustainability.”

    Opone, also member of the Drafting Committee, Federal/states Regulatory Dialogue on the Implementation of regulations of the National Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), said the government must hire experts to handle its ministry and departments of environment, adding that putting round pegs in round holes should  be    discouraged by the incoming government.

    The government, he said, should ensure that its interest for the green and brown environment should not conflict with that of overall development of the ecosystem.

    He said following the insurgency in the Northeast, there was need for a clean-up to eradicate the effects of the deposits which emanated from the deployment of arms and ammunition of both the security agents and the Boko Haram members, saying that most of these could lead to the deaths of some of our water bodies, such as rivers and streams.

    “It may sound strange that rivers could die. It was the importance environmentalists attach to the issue that they made it the theme of the last Annual General Meeting (AGM) of NES in Warri, Delta State, chaired by the Minister of Environment Mrs Laurentila Laraba Mallam. It was aptly titled: Sustainable use of Rivers in Nigeria.

    “Similarly, a sustained environment will reduce the outbreak of diseases for men and animals. This is because a balanced environment will accommodate enough oxygen and greens for healthy living. However, a polluted soil cannot but produce contaminated plants, which are injurious to man.

    “These contaminations are the fallout of toxics into the leaching water body, which are eventually taken in by the plants. The morphology of some certain species of organisms can also be altered or made to go into extinction,” he said, urging the incoming government to plan robustly for the environment.

    Another area Opone wants the government to focus at is urban renewal. He said because the migration of people from the rural areas to the urban areas is massive,and it is causing over utilisation or undue pressure on the available amenities,there was the need to build rural development projects to arrest the situation and balance the ecosystem.

    “Industrialisation must be encouraged with modern technology to reduce pollution of any kind. Policy makers must work with the policies and the White Papers of the incoming administrations where it favours the citizens and avoid throwing away every document produced by the outgoing government, ” he added.

    He praised the Jonathan government for assisting to make NES a chartered body, its recognition of the group, and support for industries in ensuring that environmental matters were not swept under the carpet.

    Specifically, he gave kudos to the Jonathan administration for its afforestation policy and fencing of coastal lines to avoid the negative effects of ocean surges.

    He urged Buhari to ban import of fairly used cooling systems, such as air conditioners, fridges because they are not oxone friendly as they emit Chorofloro Carbon (CFC) and Carbon Monoxide (Co2).

    He said these systems and used vehicles emit polluting toxic gases. He wants the Buhari government to encourage the recycling of used or abandoned metallic vehicles and machinery.

    Opone, member of the Nigeria Investment Promotion Council (NIPC), asked the government to assist auto makers to produce cheap and affordable products to reduce the importation of tokunbo( used) cars.

  • I have improved learning environment for students, says VC

    The Vice-Chancellor of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike (MOUAU), Prof Hilary Odo Edeoga, has reiterated its mission to improve learning conditions of students. Edeoga said his love for them, and  passion to ensuring conducive academic environment and accommodation compelled him to apply for the top job.

    Speaking during the 2015 Commonwealth Day Celebration at the university auditorium, Edeoga said the ceremony had afforded students from other schools to come and appreciate the little his administration had done in the institute.

    “The improvement of the education landscape of the country will ensure that the youths who are leaders of tomorrow have a good stand,” Edeoga said.

    He praised President Dr Goodluck Jonathan for upholding university autonomy which forbids government’s interference in the selection of a vice-chancellor. “If it was when people must know the President, I would not have been a VC”, Edeoga noted.

    He told the students to think of the country first before themselves which is the basis of the founding fathers of the Commonwealth anchored on unity of countries.

    He said: “Commonwealth is about unity of the people of this country which is why we should think first about our country, then ourselves, because without a country we would not have a home.”

    The VC said with the creation of more federal universities in the country, “more youths will gain admission into universities and this will also open up more job opportunities after graduation.”

    He said Mr President should be commended for opening up Almajiri schools in the northern part of the country, stressing that the schools have taught the average Hausa man that there is no dignity in begging.

    In her goodwill message, Queen Elizabeth of England who is the head Commonwealth said since the commencement of the union, there have been benefits.

    Represented by the wife of the VC, Georgina Edeoga, she said the amount of benefits that have accrued for the countries which are members of the union have been enormous, as they have protected themselves.

    She said the protection the Commonwealth members enjoy see them through dangers that could have arisen from failure to talk or to see other person’s point of view which could have always been handled in a proper way.