Ayodele Ollalere
The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, former governor of the state, Babatunde Raji Fashola and other stakeholders in the environmental sector, on Tuesday called for urgent actions to be taken to mitigate the effects of climate change and promote adaptation initiatives at the local and international levels.
Governor Sanwo-Olu spoke at the opening day of the 3-Day 10th Lagos International Climate Change Summit held at Continental Hotel, Victoria Island, with the theme ‘Accelerating Climate Finance and Championing Local Adaptation Initiatives.’ He was represented by his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat.
Other stakeholders at the event included former Lagos State Commissioner for Environment, Muiz Banire, among others.
Sanwo-Olu stated that the government understands that the issue of climate change is not a distant threat but present reality that requires immediate solutions.
He said that Lagos today stands on the threshold of history as a state driven not by what some people see as challenges but by what it considers its greatest prospects and attributes.
He noted that Lagos, as a city of aquatic splendor, is vulnerable to climate vagaries and stands tall among the committee of nations defying the odds to make appreciable gains.
He recalled that several years ago, the atmospheric elements threatened to take over the Victoria Island part of the state, saying the state tackled the issue by constructing the great walls of Lagos out of which came the Lagos Atlantic City thereby restoring and revitalizing surrounding businesses.
The governor further said over 5 Million trees have been planted by the government out of the projected 10 million.
He stressed that in 2015, the comity of nations reached a landmark agreement to keep global temperature below 1.5 degrees centigrade adding that Lagos responded by developing a second 5-year climatic action plan outlining goals and strategies for emission reduction.
The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab noted that the solution to climate change lies in climate resilient development which involves integrating adaptative measures with actions to reduce or avoid greenhouse gas emissions in ways that provide wider benefits.
He said the summit was aimed at exploring ways of attracting climate finance into the adaptation space as well as to create livable and resilient infrastructure.
He stated that over the past decade, the Lagos International Climate Change Summit has served as a platform for dialogue, collaboration, and innovation in addressing climate related issues in the state.
In his contribution, Fashola said the summit was a reaffirmation of the leadership role Lagos State has played in the awareness on climate change. He called for reduction in carbon emission, adding that Lagos ‘will not surrender to human nature.’
He said the International Climate Change Summit championed in 2009 has proved its effectiveness, adding that the convocation of the 10th edition of the Summit is a reassertion of the leadership role Lagos State plays in climate change Initiatives.
Banire on his part called for wastes to wealth initiative as well as embarking on enlightenment of the citizens on the importance of planting trees.
