Lagos And The Greenery Crusade

According to climate experts, human-induced global deforestation is responsible for 18-25% of global climate change. The United Nations, World Bank and other leading nongovernmental organizations are therefore encouraging re-forestation and other activities that promote tree planting to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Presently, the focus of the world is gradually drifting beyond the ecosystem services provided by trees to man, but to the vital role they play in empowering people, promoting economic growth and combating climate change. The 14th session of UN Forum on Forests held in May 2019 at the United Nations’ headquarters, New York, where international and regional organisations and

stakeholders took stock of the progress in implementing the UN Strategic Plan for forest 2030, highlighted the critical role of trees in a healthy planet.

The strategic plan and the Global Forest Goals of the UNFF14 as a framework for global participation in greening provide a blueprint to promote forest contributions in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Lagos State Government has been a strong participant in the global effort in safeguarding the earth through its various environmental sustainability project.

One enduring and conspicuous approach the state government has adopted is the greening project. The greening project is the systematic and comprehensive method of promoting tree planting and regeneration of degraded urban areas.

The relentless stride at establishing a culture of greening among citizens has placed Lagos among the notable green cities in the world today. This effort was recognized when it was mentioned alongside Johannesburg as one of the most improved and green compliant cities during the Environment Summit (RIO 20+) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2012.

With different tree planting crusades, the state government is gradually addressing the growing apprehension on climate change by improving the biological uniqueness of its local ecosystem and upholding the social value in communities across the state. Also, Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model has improved its greening profile as several corporate institutions are currently investing in the landscaping and beautification of several open places across the state.

Building on the remarkable antecedent of successive administrations on greening, the Sanwo-Olu administration has so far showed enough commitment to expand the project to further accentuate the position of Lagos State in global affairs of sustainable environment. In its THEMES Agenda, health and environment policy of the government is modeled to improve the socio-economic credential of the state.

This ambition was recently captured at the 2019 Tree Planting Sensitisation Campaign held in all 57 Local Governments and Local Council Development areas of the state. This comprehensive exercise, which was midwifed by the Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency (LASPARK), was a corresponding concept of greening revolution as it is been celebrated in major cities across the world to make the mother earth a fruitful entity for humanity.

All strata of the society participated in the massive tree planting campaign; media organisations, traditional institutions, religious groups, corporate bodies, community development associations, Non-Governmental Organisations, students, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), trade union, market associations including foreign diplomats were actively involved in the exercise.

Over 50,000 trees of 32 species were planted statewide in the process, making the total number of trees in the state exceed eight million. Thus, the ambition to have 10 million trees adorning the nooks and crannies of the state by 2020 is very much alive.