By Gabriel Digue
In In support of the tree planting exercise, the Acting Vice Chancellor of Lagos State University of Education (LASUED), Prof. Bidemi Lafiaji-Okuneye called on Nigerians to teach children and young adults the importance of environmental education.
She made the impassioned plea at the annual tree-planting event, the first under the institutions’ new statute. The exercise attracted senior government officials, LASUED senior management, staff unions, students and traditional leaders.
Professor Lafiaji-Okuneye stressed the need to constantly teach the importance of environmental education to children and young adults.
“We must continue to enlighten them on how their decision and daily activities affect the environment. We also need to help them acquire the knowledge and skills to solve complex environmental problems, identify simple, everyday actions to improve the environment for a sustainable future,” she said.
According to her, maintaining the tree planting exercise would make a difference in ensuring a safe environment for people to live and thrive.
She said: “Trees are a vital part of our natural environment and an immense contributor to human life. Most often, we plant trees to provide shade and beautify our landscape.
“Trees produce oxygen and purify the air we breathe by removing harmful particles from the atmosphere. Studies have shown that by spending quality time among trees and in green spaces, the social benefit of trees in reducing the amount of stress we carry with us in our daily lives is significantly enhanced.”
Lafiaji-Okuneye said that apart from the economic benefit of generating income through the sale of fruits and wood, the value of our houses increases more than similar houses without landscape.
The Acting VC observed that in reality man cannot live without trees as adopting and coexisting in harmony with nature becomes unavoidable.
She explained that as an institution, groups and individuals need to start taking concrete steps to build a lasting relationship between humanity and nature.
The university assured that LASUED would partner with the Lagos State government in its efforts to landscape and beautify the state, adding, “we must view tree planting as a civic responsibility and dedicate ourselves to its upkeep. and its management.
The highlight of the ceremony was the planting of trees by VC LASUED Acting Senior Management, current and former government officials, traditional leaders and the student union.