The Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency (LASPARK), has demonstrated its commitment to enhancing the greenery of Lagos, through its environmental renewal and greening programmes targeted at attaining an aesthetically pleasing environment.

The General Manager of LASPARK, Mrs. Adetoun Popoola, who made this known during an interview at the Johnson Jakande Tinubu (JJT Park) Alausa, Ikeja, listed some of the greenery programmes to include the creation and maintenance of functional and operational parks and gardens, landscaping and beautification of open spaces, planting and maintenance of trees, establishing support and intervention system as part of strategies to mitigate the effects of climate change and maintaining the biodiversity of the State.

Popoola said the current administration is pushing the regeneration of Lagos through various initiatives such as the creation of a clean green environment, through LASPARK, with the aim of building and sustaining Urban Green Spaces (UGS) like parks, gardens, roadsides vegetation etc. across the state.

She averred that the achievement of a healthy and sustainable environment in Lagos State is a priority for the present administration as captured in the T.H.E.M.E.S Agenda, stressing that the vision for Lagos is freedom from air, water and land pollution, hence creating a livable environment for the citizens and generations to come.

Explaining that since its inception, LASPARK has planted over 7 million trees across the State in addition to the establishment of 11 Public Events Parks and 297 Gardens, the General Manager noted that over 200 of the gardens were established by the State government, while over 80 by private concerns and 30 schools developed others.

Popoola emphasised that the Lagos State Government, through LASPARK, will continue to identify degraded, vacant and contaminated spaces and transform them strategically to potent and viable socio-economic sites.

Speaking on LASPARK partnership with the private sector, the General Manager said, “In the last two years of this administration, LASPARK, as the custodian of public open spaces in Lagos, has strategically aligned its efforts and plans in bringing into its fold more green partners to support and advance the greening evolution”.

“This alliance is considered key infrastructural support to the State government’s stride in creating a more sustainable city through Public-Private Partnership. The Agency has also been able to engage non-governmental actors and green investors to utilise, develop and identify empty open spaces”.

“The process of adoption requires that the allottee provides the scope, plan and design of allotted space before landscaping, beautifying and incorporating other components; the Agency ensures that the allotted spaces correspondingly provide the city with a spatial structure that can support its socio-economic activities”, she added.

While admonishing Lagos residents to change their disposition to parks and the greening of the environment, Popoola acknowledged the impact of climate change on several areas of our lives, urging Lagosians to embrace and take ownership of these green infrastructure which will prevent flooding, improve the quality of the air we breathe, the quality of life we live and provide a place for children and families to connect with nature and recreate outdoor activities together.

The General Manager reaffirmed the zeal of LASPARK to deliver a clean, friendly and ecologically sustainable city, stressing that the Agency will not rest on its oars until all setbacks, open spaces and median across the State are beautified.