In a bid to promote its mission of improving the environment, Rotary international District 9112 last Sunday kicked off an environment-saving intervention tagged, ‘Coastal Restoration Initiative’, at Westside Beach, Okun, Ajah, Lagos, where 1,000 coconut trees were planted along the coastal shores of the Atlantic Ocean.
At the event, the District Governor, Rotarian Femi Adenekan said the “initiative is conceived to save the environment as well as reduce the adverse effect of the climate change”.
According to him, “the environment is one of the main focus areas of Rotary International. We need to consciously come to the realisation that we need to save our environment. We need to save ourselves. So that, in the future, those that will come after us will have life.
“People assume that the world belongs to them. They have forgotten that they are just tenants on the surface of the earth. If you try to change nature, nature will react, which is the reason we are having a lot of environmental damage in the world. Some of the wrong human activities, such as throwing plastics and other items into water, or where it ought not to be, are causing us environmental challenges. If we don’t take care of our environment, the environment will react and take us out of the surface of the earth”.
The Chairman of the District 9112 Tree Planting Committee, Rotarian Gboyega Bada recommended the adoption of an ‘Every Rotarian Plant a Tree Every Year’ policy and also indicated plans by the district to propose a private bill to the Lagos State House of Assembly to enable all residents of the state plant a tree every year for the next five years to address the challenges of climate change.
He said that the district’s vision on tree planting is to achieve a safer and cleaner environment by planting 10,000 seedlings of coconut, mango, breadfruit, avocado and other ralated crops that have economic, health and environmental benefits.
A world acclaimed horticulturist, Mr. Andrew Vale of Tolaram Group and the Lagos Free Zone, highlighted the importance of trees, saying; “planting trees improves air quality, and reduces air pollution, and illnesses from air pollution. More so, plants produce oxygen and provide shelter, medicine, and many more”.
Chairman of Lufasi Park and Director General of Coconut Naija, Dr. Desmond Majekodunmi said: “The basic fact about the environment is that whatever you sow, you shall reap. The environment will always treat you, the way you treat it”.
This Rotary year, which began on 1 July 2024, the vision of Rotary International District 9112 on the tree planting is to achieve a safer and cleaner environment by planting 10,000 seedlings of coconut, mango, breadfruit, avocado and other related crops that have economic, health and environmental benefits.
The event was witnessed and supported by many stakeholders including the General Manager of Lagos State Coconut Development Authority (LASCODA), Mr. Dapo Olakulehin; Mr. Andrew Vale of Tolaram Group; Channel Scott from Pan African Towers; Azeez Amida Foundation; Telenoetica; The Legend Lifeskills Foundation; Etam Avitat: Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency (LASPARK); presidents and members of various Rotary clubs in District 9112, amongst others.
It was well attended by stakeholders in the private and public sectors. Pan African Towers Limited, Tolaram Group, Azeez Amida Foundation, Telenoetica Limited, amongst others were well represented.
Past District Governor (PDG) Tunji Funsho led other Rotary leaders, among whom were PDG Kamoru Omotosho and PDG Omotunde Lawson, to give their support.
The District Governor’s wife, Rotarian Tayo Adenekan; District Governor-Elect, Rotarian Lanre Adedoyin; General Manager of Lagos State Coconut Development Authority, Dapo Olakulehin; Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency; Rotary club Presidents and Rotarians from the 73 clubs graced the occasion.
