Taming Climate Change: The Green Option
By Kunle Ajayi
Senior Photojournalist
Independent Newspapers
Lagos, Nigeria
The world has come to agree that climate change is a major looming disaster that can ravage and consume the earth. The ozone layer has been confirmed to be depleted and the danger it potents to humanity and his environment is enormous. As it is, if urgent step is not taken to tackle its menace at the bud, can cause more havoc than what is being witness in part of the
world in terms of desertification or rise in sea level. Due to the devastating effect, the world powerful leaders at the just concluded G8 summit in Italy made climate change a subject matter that needs drastic attention.
It is believed that industrialisation has contributed to this scourge but every man has a duty to rectify or minimize this effect. In Nigeria, Lagos State Government under the leadership of Babatunde Fashola is buckling up to check the effect of climate change. Lagos being surrounded by water is not immuned to this global threat.
As parts of the efforts, the state government has set aside July 14 of every year as Tree Planting day across the state. The programme that started in 2008 in which a total of 250,000 were planted has spread like a wide fire and the culture is being adopted at different levels of government
By Kunle Ajayi
Senior Photojournalist
Independent Newspapers
Lagos, Nigeria
The world has come to agree that climate change is a major looming disaster that can ravage and consume the earth. The ozone layer has been confirmed to be depleted and the danger it potents to humanity and his environment is enormous. As it is, if urgent step is not taken to tackle its menace at the bud, can cause more havoc than what is being witness in part of the
world in terms of desertification or rise in sea level. Due to the devastating effect, the world powerful leaders at the just concluded G8 summit in Italy made climate change a subject matter that needs drastic attention. It is believed that industrialisation has contributed to this scourge but every man has a duty to rectify or minimize this effect. In Nigeria, Lagos State Government under the leadership of Babatunde Fashola is buckling up to check the effect of climate change. Lagos being surrounded by water is not immuned to this global threat.
As parts of the efforts, the state government has set aside July 14 of every year as Tree Planting day across the state. The programme that started in 2008 in which a total of 250,000 were planted has spread like a wide fire and the culture is being adopted at different levels of government
Member of Nigeria Union of Journalist planting tree.
Allen area of Lagos submerged after a downpour
in the state. Even the Non-Governmental and Corporate Organisations have joined in the campaign.
To complement what have been planted, the
To complement what have been planted, the
2009 edition led by Fashola and Commissioner of Environment, Dr. Muiz Banire was decentralised with an estimated half a million trees said to have been planted.
And so by early hour of Tuesday, every nook and cranny of Lagos State was seen flooded with tree seedlings waiting to be planted. Fashola led his cabinet to Ajegunle area (popularly known as AJ City) while the exercise also took place simultaneously in different parts of the state.
This first anniversary got an impetus from the State’s chapter of Nigerian Union of Journalist, NUJ. NUJ Chairman, Mr. Wahab Oba, led the team of journalists in the state to observe the exercise at the premise of Independent Newspapers Ltd in Ogba area of Lagos.
Oba explained that NUJ cannot afford to fold its hand when a leader like Fashola is seen to be doing a good job that would benefit both the environment and mankind..JPG)
According to him, climate change is global issue that deserves concerted effort. ‘Many a time, we wrote and criticised bad government and bad leaders, if we see somebody doing a great job for our benefit and the environment at large, we have no options than to support and encourage him’, said Oba.
Lagos being a state surrounded by Lagoon and Atlantic has before now tagged one of the zone that may likely witness the adverse effect of climate change. Let us give kudos to the State Government. It has taken proactive and
And so by early hour of Tuesday, every nook and cranny of Lagos State was seen flooded with tree seedlings waiting to be planted. Fashola led his cabinet to Ajegunle area (popularly known as AJ City) while the exercise also took place simultaneously in different parts of the state.
This first anniversary got an impetus from the State’s chapter of Nigerian Union of Journalist, NUJ. NUJ Chairman, Mr. Wahab Oba, led the team of journalists in the state to observe the exercise at the premise of Independent Newspapers Ltd in Ogba area of Lagos.
Oba explained that NUJ cannot afford to fold its hand when a leader like Fashola is seen to be doing a good job that would benefit both the environment and mankind.
.JPG)
According to him, climate change is global issue that deserves concerted effort. ‘Many a time, we wrote and criticised bad government and bad leaders, if we see somebody doing a great job for our benefit and the environment at large, we have no options than to support and encourage him’, said Oba.
Lagos being a state surrounded by Lagoon and Atlantic has before now tagged one of the zone that may likely witness the adverse effect of climate change. Let us give kudos to the State Government. It has taken proactive and
Eroded Lagos-Abeokuta express road
preventive measures in ensuring the state is free of environmental hazard.
In the past ocean surge had almost wiped off Victoria Island and its axis before the state government’s intervention through building of concrete embankments that put the surge to a hold. Outside the Lagos Island, government has equally been trying to check flooding although no part of Lagos is free from seasonal flooding. Areas like Agege, Aboru, Oworo, and Oshod-Apapa express road, just to mention few, are places that are constantly flooded and caused
people nightmare during the rain season. Also, in 2008, over 15 communities were destroyed by rainstorm at Epe area of Lagos.
The importance of tree planting cannot therefore be overemphasized; the same applies for the need for proper waste disposal as well as embarking on activities that protect the environment. When all these are done, it will reduce the level of rainstorm ravaging the community and also prevent all these catastrophes ravaging the environment.
In the past ocean surge had almost wiped off Victoria Island and its axis before the state government’s intervention through building of concrete embankments that put the surge to a hold. Outside the Lagos Island, government has equally been trying to check flooding although no part of Lagos is free from seasonal flooding. Areas like Agege, Aboru, Oworo, and Oshod-Apapa express road, just to mention few, are places that are constantly flooded and caused
people nightmare during the rain season. Also, in 2008, over 15 communities were destroyed by rainstorm at Epe area of Lagos.The importance of tree planting cannot therefore be overemphasized; the same applies for the need for proper waste disposal as well as embarking on activities that protect the environment. When all these are done, it will reduce the level of rainstorm ravaging the community and also prevent all these catastrophes ravaging the environment.
One of the communities ravaged by rainstorm
No doubt, there is need to imbibe the culture of
tree planting to have a safe environment for this generation and coming generations.
nice blog. but why have u not updated since. are u a lazy blogger?
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