For Nigerians to continue to enjoy the benefits that healthy living offers and prevent climate change, they need to embrace modern lifestyles in their approach to environmental health, wife of the Vice President, Dolapo Osinbajo has said.
Nigerians’ love and regard for environmental health cannot be achieved by mere words; it needs to be backed up by action because of the many benefits to life.
Osinbajo, who stated this while delivering an address at the DAWN Project prize-giving webinar organised in celebration of the World Environmental Health Day stated that Nigerians cared about nature, especially when used in local cuisines, medicines, and for artworks.
She said, “The theme is ‘A plea for a Green Nigeria: Does anybody care?’ Yes, we care. I believe this question is posed to provoke an answer. But not just an answer; a drive to find a solution. Not just a solution, but a plan of action that is powered by those who care.”
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Osinbajo further noted that Green-white-green in the national flag represents a good and green Nigeria. adding that this further reflects in the taste and the aroma of the cuisine of such amazing variety as diverse as our tribes and tongues.
Akin Abayomi, Lagos State Commissioner for Health while speaking at the programme explained that the THEMES development agenda of the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration and its merger of health and environment is strategic.
According to Abayomi, “With great vision and futuristic thinking, we have lumped health and environment together. That personifies the one-health agenda. We link health to the environment. I think that is incredibly futuristic of this government.”
The DAWN Project, in the prize-giving portion of the event, noted that it had received 1,648 entries for its poetry competition.
In the ‘seven to 14’ age group, Ada Udeh came first; Satomi James, second; and Daniel Eta, third, while in the ‘15 to 18’ age group, Favour Ajileye came first; Baki Adams, second; and Adams Olajumoke, third.
Similarly, the winners in the Adult Category were Esere Gibson (first), Ayeba Priye (second), and Chinonye Onukwugha (third).
Other speakers at the event were British Deputy High Commissioner, Ben Llewellyn-Jones OBE; Founder, Greenbelt Movement, Ajoke Murtala-Muhammed; and Creation Carer, LUFAFI, Desmond Majekodunmi.
The panellists included General Manager/CEO, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, Adedolapo Fasawe; Co-founder, Wecyclers, Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola; and environmentalist, Tosin Odunfa.
