The Lagos State Government said it has developed an action plan and projects for restoration, protection and management of identified environmental degradation that may have negative impacts on the environment.

According to a statement, the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tunji Bello, made this known at Ikoyi during the commemoration of the year 2022 Walk for Nature on Saturday themed, “Only One Earth.” He disclosed that the walk was organised in conjunction with the Nigerian Conservation Foundation, and held contemporaneously in Ikoyi/Obalende, Surulere, and Ikeja Local Government Areas.

Bello noted that the state government was committed to actualising Goals 11-17 of the Sustainable Development Goals and had formulated policies aimed at the conservation of biodiversity.

The commissioner, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental Services, Dr. Omobolaji Gaji, said the present administration would not relax its plans to promote awareness on the adoption of a green and blue economy as natural capital was used sustainably for a vibrant Lagos.

He said, “The theme for this year ‘Only One Earth’ is chosen to create more awareness of the importance of protecting nature and to remind all that there is only one habitable planet which is the Earth.

“The reality on ground tells a troubling story that unsustainable human activities and over-exploitation of species and natural resources are putting to peril the World’s Biodiversity, and nearly a quarter of all species are presently at risk of getting extinct in the coming decades.

“It is important to note that humans have only been around for 200,000 years of the 4.5 billion years of the existence of planet Earth, yet we have had a significant negative effect on the earth more than any other species. In a 2018 report of the Worldwide Fund for Nature titled: ‘Our Living Planet Report,’ it was revealed that wildlife and species population decreased by 60% globally between 1970 and 2014.”

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