… Inaugurates LASUCOM Green Hub Ambassadors

As part of efforts to combat the menace of climate change and reduce the effects of greenhouse gases in the state, the Lagos State Government through its Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) has taken its advocacy for environmental sustainability and a green Lagos to tertiary institutions across the state.

The state government said the measure was necessary to put the youth at the centre of various education programmes on environmental sustainability, especially the fight against climate change and its attendant greenhouse effects.

LASEPA General Manager, Dr. Tunde Ajayi, stated this last weekend during the inauguration of the Green Hub Ambassadors at the Lagos State University College of Medicine LASUCOM, Ikeja. He
tasked the students to commit to the Greener Lagos Project, to protect the environment from all forms of degradation for a better future and sustainable development.

He commended the Lagos State University Medical Students Association (LASUMSA) for partnering with LASEPA in the quest for a greener and cleaner Lagos, adding that a clean and sustainable environment is crucial to the larger initiative in Lagos.

Ajayi stated that the initiative, organised under the theme: “Role of Youth in Sustainable Environmental Practices”, is aimed at empowering students to actively engage as stewards of the environment through active participation in various environmentally sustainable programmes such as tree planting, waste segregation, recycling and pollution control.

The Director General, who was represented at the event by the Executive Assistant to Governor Sanwo-Olu on Environmental Protection Affairs, Mrs. Adebowale Tolulope, stressed the urgency of environmental sustainability and emphasised the need for transition from a linear to a circular economy to conserve natural resources and reduce pollution.

He urged the students to embrace recycling, waste segregation, reuse, energy efficiency, water conservation and tree planting as essential components of sustainable environmental policies. He added that the state government is empowering the youth to take the lead in the fight for a better and sustainable climate.

In his address, the Special Assistant to Governor Sanwo-Olu on Tertiary Institutions, Mr. Adewunmi Adeola, stressed the role of educational institutions in promoting environmental awareness through curriculum integration and community engagement.

He highlighted initiatives such as tree planting and recycling campaigns as ways in which universities can lead by example in environmental sustainability.
Also speaking, the Special Assistant to Governor Sanwo-Olu on Students’ Union Affairs, Mr. Kappo Samuel, expressed gratitude to LASEPA for promoting environmental sustainability and urged greater involvement of youths in environmental clean-up and advocacy.

He assured the state government of the commitment of the students of the tertiary institutions to the government’s policies on green and sustainable environmental practices, noting that these efforts would contribute to a better and improved environment for the future generations.

The Programme Coordinator and Head of Partnership & Grants Management at LASEPA, Dr. Bukola Olisa, explained that students’ involvement in sustainable environmental practices is critical to the success of the programme as youth are the future leaders of the country.

A notable highlight of the event was the inauguration of the LASUCOM Green Hub Ambassadors and tree planting by students, senior government officials and representatives of the university community.