By The environment in any geographic entity is a major factor that has to be considered in analysing how well or otherwise such an entity has performed. As the year is winding down, the need to take a brief stock of what transpired in the economic capital of the country as regards the environment in the foregoing year is never timelier.
In early 2018, The Lagos State government carried out a massive clean-up exercise in all the nooks and crannies of the state through the cleaner Lagos initiative. To ensure the by-in of residents, several campaign programmes were organised in public places.
Worthy of note is the walk for nature which had as it theme “Beat pollution, live a sustainable lifestyle”. This was organised to sensitise the public on the disposal of plastic waste and eradicate plastic pollution.
In the year under review, a wildfire broke out at the Olusosun dump site hence its closure and the commencement of transforming the dump site to fit into the project plan of converting it into a world class recreation park by the state government.
In a bid to create a greener environment, the Lagos State Parks and Garden (LASPARK) beautified few open spaces within the state by commission as its maiden project the Alfred Rewane Park in Victoria Island and the Jibowu Recreation Park in Yaba for public use.
LASPARK in collaboration with the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund, organised the maiden edition of a programme which provides an enabling platform to promote small and medium scale enterprises tagged “Fair in the Park”
In the mid-year, one of the major environmental issues that trended in Lagos State especially in the social media space, was how dirty Lagos roads were gradually becoming. From the Mainland to the Island, one visible landmark was dungs everywhere. VisionScape; the sole company in charge of keeping Lagos clean appeared to be overwhelmed as heaps of refuse were everywhere, this problem still persists.
It is worthy of note that at the tail end of the year, the Lagos State House of Assembly, passed a vote of no confidence on the waste management regime of VisonScape and advocated for a Public-Private Partnership.
Also in the year under review, the Lagos State Government joined the rest of the world in celebrating international days observed by the United Nations as related to the environment, they include; World Environment Day, World Habitat Day and World bio-diversity day.
No doubt the year 2018 in the environment and sanitation sector of Lagos State holds one of the major highlights of the year. Speaking of highlight, Lagosians will never forget the Cleaner Lagos Initiative regime with Vision Scape and how the new waste regime changed the narrative of the hitherto neat and sanitised environment brought on-board by the previous regime.
The current administration has always emphasised that its priority is to create a cleaner environment for the residents. How the administration has delivered on this promise is left for Lagosians to tell.
