The Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency (LASPARK) has handed over six mini-botanical gardens to public secondary schools that emerged winners at the Public School Craft Art Competition organised during the 2021 Lagos tree planting day.
The gardens consist of over 80 varieties of trees, segmented into four sections: edible, ornamental, shrubs and medicine.
Speaking at the unveiling of the botanical gardens at Government Senior College Agege, Adetoun Popoola, the general manager of LASPARK, said the gardens were meant to serve as learning resources that will expose students to plant biodiversity and help them know more about a range of horticultural practices like propagation, planting and cultivation techniques.
According to Popoola, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has set a target to make environmental education a core curriculum component in all countries by 2025.
“We are contributing in our small way with this resource to enable school children acquire first-hand knowledge, skills, values and initiatives to become active participants in the protection of the environment”.
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“The creation of the gardens will also complement activities of the Environmental Bees Club initiative anchored by our parent body, the ministry of environment and water resources”
“It is our hope that the gardens will fulfill the desired purpose by nurturing a young, green-fingered generation, she said, adding that “though the mini-botanical garden might look small now but we hope it will be natured and cared for to blossom that future generations of students will meet here someday.”
Muhtari Aminu Kano, the director-general, Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), said the partnership with LASPARK was in line with the mandate of the foundation which is to conserve the environment by creating green spaces.
The DG, represented by Folake Salawu, the coordinator, Green Recovery Nigerian Programme, noted that the initiative would enlighten the students and make them aware of the role they can play in protecting the environment.
Alamu Olushola, the principal of Government Senior College, Agege expressed gratitude to LASPARK for the project, urging the agency to set up more gardens across schools in the state.
