In a bold move to catch them young, the Society for Ecological Restoration, University of Lagos organised a sensitisation workshop for pupils of primary schools drawn from different parts of Lagos State on Monday, May 22, 2023.
The event, which is part of the society’s celebration of the 2023 International Day of Biodiversity, was organised in collaboration with the Parks & Garden Unit of the Works and Physical Planning Department, with support from the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF).
Head of the Parks & Garden Unit, Dr. Abdulganiyu Adelopo, engaged the pupils with the fundamentals of environmental science and biodiversity. With a combined deployment of video presentation and occasional brain teasers, he drove home the point that, as young people, they had an obligation to the environment to preserve and treat it tenderly.
Coordinator of the Society for Ecological Restoration, University of Lagos, Dr. Excellence Akeredolu followed up with a session of affirmations, with which the young members of the audience were made to vocalise their commitment to the environment and its care.
A representative of the Nigerian Conservation Centre, Mrs Adedamola Ogutuga, was also present to show support. She informed the pupils about the existence of the Foundation as Nigeria’s premier non-governmental organisation dedicated to nature conservation. She also gave them a free invite to the Lekki Conservation Centre.
The pupils were thereafter taken on an excursion to the nursery section of UNILAG Parks & Garden Unit, to see and understand the uses of different kinds of plants.
The International Day for Biological Diversity is a United Nations–sanctioned international day for the promotion of biodiversity issues. It is currently held on May 22 of every year.
