AKOD leads tree planting exercise, commits to 1,000 trees across Ikeja

Mercy Iheoma Ihedigbo

Executive Chairman of Ikeja Local Government, Comrade Akeem Olalekan Dauda (AKOD), has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to environmental sustainability by pledging to plant 1,000 trees across strategic public spaces within the council area as part of efforts to promote a greener, healthier and more climate-resilient environment.

Dauda made the commitment on Tuesday while leading the 2026 Lagos State Tree Planting Day exercise at the frontage of the Ikeja Local Government Secretariat. The event formed part of the statewide campaign organised by the Lagos State Government under the theme, “Trees for Lagos: Our City, Our Responsibility.”

Speaking on behalf of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, the council chairman delivered the governor’s keynote address, urging residents to move beyond conversations about climate change and embrace practical environmental action through tree planting and conservation.

Quoting the late Kenyan environmentalist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Wangari Maathai, the governor said: “Until you dig a hole, you plant a tree, you water it and make it survive, you have not done a thing. You are just talking.”

According to him, Lagos State is demonstrating genuine commitment to environmental restoration by taking deliberate and measurable steps to expand its green infrastructure.

Governor Sanwo-Olu noted that rapid urbanisation has continued to expose Lagos to rising temperatures, flash floods and environmental degradation, making tree planting one of the most effective and affordable nature-based solutions to climate change.

He explained that trees help cool urban centres, improve air quality, absorb stormwater to reduce flooding, conserve biodiversity and provide healthier recreational spaces that enhance the well-being of residents.

The governor stressed that environmental sustainability cannot be achieved by government alone, calling for active participation from traditional rulers, community associations, schools, corporate organisations, religious institutions, market groups and individual residents.

He disclosed that Lagos State had set a target of planting 20,000 trees during the current planting season, revealing that 13,401 trees, representing 67 per cent of the target, had already been planted across the state as of June 30, 2026.

Sanwo-Olu further announced that the tree planting campaign would continue simultaneously across all the 57 Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas throughout the rainy season until October to improve tree survival rates and surpass the state’s target.

The governor, however, emphasised that planting trees alone was insufficient.
“Planting is easy; nurturing is leadership. Every tree planted must be protected, watered and preserved to maturity,” he said, urging council chairmen to serve as custodians of trees within their respective jurisdictions in collaboration with the Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency (LASPARK).

He also encouraged residents to obtain free seedlings from LASPARK nurseries in Ikorodu and Agege and plant trees in homes, schools, offices, estates and communities.

Following the address, Dauda led members of the Ikeja Local Government Executive Council, officials of the Nigeria Police Force, representatives of LASPARK, officials of the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, lawmakers and other stakeholders in planting 50 trees along the median stretching from the Ikeja Local Government Secretariat through the Police Station, the Directorate of State Services (DSS) office and the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor.

Addressing journalists after the exercise, the chairman announced that Ikeja Local Government would go beyond the state’s target by planting 1,000 trees across strategic public spaces within the council area.

He explained that the initiative aligns with the environmental sustainability pillar of the council’s I.K.E.J.A. Agenda, which seeks to build a cleaner, healthier and climate-resilient local government.

“Our responsibility does not end with planting these trees today. We will ensure they are nurtured to maturity because every surviving tree contributes to cleaner air, reduced heat, improved biodiversity and a healthier environment for our people,” Dauda stated.

He appealed to residents, schools, businesses, community development associations and environmental volunteers to join hands with the council in protecting and maintaining the newly planted trees, stressing that environmental stewardship is a collective responsibility.

Earlier, the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, described tree planting as a strategic investment in public health, biodiversity conservation and climate resilience.

Represented by the Deputy Director (Geology), LASPARK, Mrs. Idowu Tolulope, the commissioner commended LASPARK for sustaining Lagos State’s afforestation programme and appreciated the contributions of private sector organisations, development partners and volunteers toward advancing the state’s environmental sustainability agenda.

He also highlighted recent collaborations that produced eco-friendly playgrounds built from recycled materials for public primary schools, describing the projects as practical demonstrations of sustainable development and circular economy practices.

The 2026 Lagos State Tree Planting Day was observed simultaneously across all the 57 Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas as part of the state’s drive to build a greener, cooler, cleaner and more flood-resilient megacity.