There’s still more work to be done to make Lagos cleaner-LASG

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

The Lagos State Government says there is still more work to be done to make Lagos cleaner and called for collaborative effort.

Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pensions, Dr. Benson Oke said this while flagging off a two-day workshop tagged: “Strategic Communication for a Clean Lagos,” organized by the ministry in conjunction with Messrs XLS Consulting at Pearlwort Hotel & Suites, in Ikeja, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria.

He said the purpose of the workshop was to train and re-train those who would be the carriers of the message of a cleaner Lagos to the nooks and crannies of the state.

“Lagos once had a reputation for being a very dirty and disorganized city. However, tailored and sustained efforts in this direction since 1999 have ensured that Lagos is no longer in the class of extremely dirty cities. However, there is still work to be done,” he said.

Now, we all understand that it is one thing to have a plan or policy in place but it is totally a different matter all together to have a strategy for communicating the import, nature, benefits, changes and opportunities inherent in the policy. This workshop will go a long way in helping the Civil Service craft such a strategic policy for communicating Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s laudable agenda for a cleaner Lagos.

As you devote time and attention in learning the crucial lessons embedded in this workshop, it may be helpful to call to mind why a cleaner city is very important. Indeed, while no one can possibly be in doubt as to the need for a clean environment, it helps to briefly discuss the most important of the benefits. The first and primary reason is for the better health of the residents and tourists.

People who live in places with high levels of air pollutants have a 20% higher risk of death from lung cancer than people who live in less-polluted areas.

While children make up 10% of the world’s population, over 40% of the global burden of disease falls on them. More than 3 million children under age five die annually from environmental factors.