2022 World Environment Day celebrations in Lagos kicked off on Thursday with planting of 10 historic breadfruit trees to ensure the sustenance of One planet earth.

Speaking at the ceremony which took place at the St Paul’s Anglican Primary School, Breadfruit, Lagos, the Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental Services, Omobolaji Gaji said the task of regenerating the environment should not be left to the government alone.

Highlighting the 2022 World Environment Day theme “Only One Earth” he said it is a campaign to ensure that the beautiful planet remains a comfortable home for humanity.

He explained that this year’s celebration was a historic milestone for the global environmental community as it marks 50 years since the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, widely seen as the first international meeting on the environment.

He said the World Environment Day (WED) is celebrated in different ways all over the world and these includes planting of trees, cleaning up local beaches, organizing meetings, joining online protests amongst others.

He said part of the activities lined up for this year’s celebration by the Ministry includes planting of historical breadfruit trees, an Environmental Awareness Walk, a submition of a petition for the support of the Environment to Lagos House of Assembly with a climax of the 2022 celebrations on Sunday.

He said individuals and civil society are pivotal advocates, adding that the more people raise their voices and emphasize on what needs to be done, the faster change will come.

He added that the World Environment Day programme is globally embraced to draw people’s attention to the significance of living sustainably with nature.

Earlier in a goodwill message, the representative of the Education Secretary, Lagos Island Education District, Mr. Rasheed Fashanu commended the State Government for replanting the historical tree in the school as the area in times past was named after the tree because of the large concentration of Breadfruit trees in the area.

He added that in the past students in the education district have always been encouraged to plant trees and the trees planted as a result are the ones being seen around now.

The Director, Sanitation Services Department, Dr. Hassan Sanuth explained that trees planted were indigenous trees and synonymous to certain areas adding that in previous years other trees like Mango was planted at the Mangoro area of the state as well as the Coconut Tree planted at the Idi-Agbon Area in Ifako Ijaiye.

Signed
Kunle Adeshina
Director Public Affairs
MOE &WR
June 2, 2022