International Day of Forests: Lagos marks with Tree planting

R-L. Coordinator of My Root in Africa, Kamil Olufowobi; General Manager, LASPARK, Adetoun Popoola; Founder, La’campagne Tropicana Beach and Forest Resorts, Otunba Olawanle Akinboboye; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, Mrs Belinda Odeneye and the Country Representative, AU-Economy, Social and Cultural Council, Mr John Oba Olasunkanmi at the event where the Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency (LASPARK) donated and planted trees as a contribution to global climate action efforts.
This year’s theme: ‘Forests and Biodiversity’
The General Manager, Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency (LASPARK), Mrs. Adetoun Popoola

March 21st was the International Day of Forests, a day set aside by resolution of the United Nations General Assembly in 2012 to celebrate and raise awareness of the importance of forests.

The Lagos State Government at the weekend marked the International Day of Forests with tree planting in Lekki area of the State. The theme for this year is ‘Forests and Biodiversity’.

The Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency (LASPARK) donated and planted trees as a contribution to global climate action efforts.

The General Manager, LASPARK, Mrs. Adetoun Popoola stated that Biodiversity was under serious threat from deforestation, forest degradation and climate change, saying that forest depletion, combined with heavy industrial effluents and carbon monoxide is a danger to the environment and to humanity which has aggravated climate change, global warming and rainfall patterns around the world.

She explained that the day was set aside globally to encourage organizations at local, national and international levels to take action to prevent and reverse global deforestation which gave credence to the present administration’s efforts to achieve a Healthy and Sustainable Environment.

“Tree Planting is one of Lagos State Government’s deliberate Climate Action efforts in support of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal #13 – one of 17 Global Goals that make up the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This deliberate effort informed our choice of collaborators for this year’s event, to contribute towards our goal to plant 10 million trees by the end of this year – over 7.4 million trees have been planted so far.

“La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort boasts of a clean beach, lagoon and mangrove forest that provides visitors with the opportunity to observe at close quarters, a wide variety of tropical Flora and Fauna that include palm trees, mangroves, various species of epiphytes, monkeys, squirrels, bats and birds – a Lagos State biodiversity haven!

“My Roots in Africa is a unique project designed by Most Influential People of African Descent Foundation (MIPAD) to encourage people of African Descent across the Diaspora to join the climate action movement by planting trees on African soil to help reverse the effects of climate change,” she said.

Popoola assured Lagosians that LASPARK would continue to collaborate with corporate institutions, NGOs and individuals to bequeath a healthy and sustainable environment for all.

The Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental Services, Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, Mrs Belinda Odeneye who was present to support the initiative confirmed that with a healthy ecosystem, strong and resilient social structure, the dream of many citizens to live a prosperous life would be attainable.

While calling on residents to establish the right attitude that would support Government’s investment in environmental sustainability, she disclosed that sustainable management of all types of forests was a key contributor to unlocking the challenges of food security and eradicating poverty.

Commenting on the significance of the day, the Founder of La Campagne Tropicana Beach and Forest Resort, Otunba Olawanle Akinboboye described the tree planting effort as part of his desire towards the creation of “an Africa that we all desire” as he reiterated his delight with the Lagos State Government’s commitment and leadership in the preservation of the ecosystem.

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