A delegation of environmentalists from Anambra State has praised the “greening initiative” of the Lagos State Government

Members of the team, led by Anambra State Leisure Parks & Street Beautification Managing Director, Mrs. Ify Atogu, said they were highly impressed with what they saw in the state.

Atogu spoke as the delegation concluded a week-long tour of Lagos State Parks and Gardens (LASPARK). The visit was to understudy LASPARK’s activities. The delegation also joined its host in planting trees.

Atogu said the tour was at the instance of Governor Willy Obiano, who directed them to come and study the way Lagos was beautifying its environment with a view to replicate same in Anambra, and improve the performance of their agency. She described Obiano as a man “with open mind to development; lover of beautiful environment”.

Atogu, who joined the LASPARK crew in its tree planting exercise in Imota Local Council Development Area, Ikorodu Division, Lagos with her team, said she had learnt so much from LASPARK, especially in the workers’ commitment and passion for the job. She promised to take the experience home and encourage her workers to imbibe same.

The Imota tree planting exercise was part of the LASPARK’s tree planting initiative to aid the actualisation of the agency’s set target of planting 10 million trees in the state by 2020.

The exercise, which was led by the Agency’s General Manager, Mrs. Bilikis Adebiyi-Abiola, said the event is part of the activities to usher in the annual tree planting campaign holding next month.

She explained that the choice of Imota Local Council Development Area for the exercise was borne out of the fact that the area had been a strategic partner in the cause of propagating the culture of tree planting in the state. The LASPARK chief said the same exercise had been successfully launched in Ikeja and Epe divisions, adding that it is also to ensure that the local community takes active part in the state greening programme.

“This project is vital to our collective survival because trees are life, therefore, the life of every tree planted in this community today counts. We must own them and see them as means to an end,” she said. According to her, the exercise was also in line with the millenium development goals (MDG 7), aimed at ensuring environmental sustainability.

She noted some of the importance of planting trees to include oxygen production; balancing of eco-system; reducing the effect of flash floods; filtration, as trees absorbs and reduces pollutants, provides amenity, aesthetic value and historical continuity. Trees also increase the value of properties and undeveloped land by more than 30 percent.

Adebiyi-Abiola therefore, urged Imota community to take the survival of the trees as a challenge in order to ensure that all the ”efforts of today do not amount to futility’.

Imota Local Council Development Area Chairman, Wasiu Agoro, assured the Agency that ‘all the trees planted will survive and animals will not eat them”. He said the founders of the community knew the importance of trees; hence, it has become trans-generational to preserve tress in the community.

The National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) zonal co-ordinator, who represented the state co-ordinator, Mr. Charles Obiakolo, urged all Corps members within Ikorodu, especially Imota to protect the trees.

While the Babaloja of Imota market appreciated the agency for choosing the community for the exercise and promised the co-operation and protection of the trees by all members, the Iyaloja of Imota market, Mrs Saidat Taiwo also commended the agency for the exercise and assured the agency that trees planted within the community will be well protected till maturity.

https://www.financialwatchngr.com/2018/06/09/anambra-sends-delegation-to-learn-from-lagos-state-govt/

Lalasticlala
uboma
davide470

Lagos is the pace setter, being the former capital of Nigeria make it easy for state to be on the pace, it is already built by British, FG and Nigerians over the years.What the state government need to do is just to do some reconstructions and plant flowers.

Welcome development. Lagos has set the pace not only in Nigeria but West African sub region. Anambra like Lagos is the financial capital of the SE.

That's how things should be done,learning from different people to improve our system. Instead of wasting money sending them abroad, we can learn from each other.That's winners mindset.kudos Obiano,kudos lag gov.

Oloripelebe:

mischievous . lazy people always blame people for their misfortunes.

Odingo1:
Lagos is the pace setter, being the former capital of Nigeria make it easy for state to be on the pace, it is already built by British, FG and Nigerians over the years.What the state government need to do is just to do some reconstructions and plant flowers.

Kudos to Ambode and Willy Obiano

I wonder why we d common men are disunited

Hope they won't blame Lagos for going green this time around.