The Lagos State Government has urged youths to take active roles in protecting the ocean, waterways and coastal environment.
Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, Dr Mobalaji Gaji, gave the charge yesterday at the opening of the 2026 Young Leaders for Sustainable Environment Programme (YLSEP) in Lagos.
The programme, organised by Eko Envirotalk, is themed: “Ocean Heroes, Guardians of the Blue.”
Gaji said Lagos’ lagoons, creeks, wetlands and Atlantic shoreline were critical to the state’s economy, food systems and climate resilience.
He identified plastic pollution, blocked waterways, mangrove destruction, coastal erosion and climate change as major threats to the state’s coastal ecosystems.
“Government policies alone will not save our ocean and our coast. Policy determines direction; it is people, informed, motivated and organised people, that determine whether that direction is actually followed,” he said.
The permanent secretary said the state government had continued to respond to environmental pressures through climate action, adaptation and resilience measures, waste management and environmental restoration.
He listed the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency (LASPARK) and Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) among agencies driving the efforts.
Gaji said youths were not merely beneficiaries of a liveable future but active participants in protecting it.
He urged participants to become environmental advocates in their schools and communities and use digital platforms to promote environmental awareness and positive behavioural change.
He said the ministry was open to young people interested in understanding environmental governance and contributing ideas to improve environmental management.
Gaji commended Eko Envirotalk, Gracefield Island and the International Ocean Institute (IOI) Nigeria Centre for investing in youth environmental education.
Earlier, the Convener of Eko Envirotalk, Mr Lasisi Adedoyin, said the programme was founded on the belief that young people could drive meaningful environmental change.
Adedoyin said Lagos’ lagoons, coastlines, creeks and seas were under increasing pressure from plastic pollution and other environmental threats.
“Our lagoons, our coastlines, our creeks and our seas are under pressure as never before,” he said.
He said plastic bottles and other waste were polluting waterways and threatening marine life, stressing that the ocean should not be treated as a dumping ground.
Adedoyin said the programme would expose participants to ocean and coastal ecosystems, plastic pollution and climate change, as well as practical approaches to tackling environmental challenges.
He said previous cohorts had produced sustainability champions who led projects and influenced environmental conversations in schools, campuses and communities.
The convener urged the new participants to use the programme to build knowledge, networks and a strong sense of purpose.
Programme Manager, Eko Envirotalk, Miss ‘Wande Seriki, said the 2026 cohort comprised 28 participants aged between 13 and 28.
She said 57.4 per cent of the participants were female and 42.9 per cent male, while 57.4 per cent were students in tertiary institutions.
Seriki said participants would undergo theoretical and practical training, interact with environmental experts, develop solutions and participate in tree planting.
She said the programme was designed to close knowledge gaps, build confidence and promote collaboration among youths interested in environmental sustainability.
Director, International Ocean Institute Nigeria Centre, Mr Williams Akanbi, described the ocean as an essential life-support system that regulated climate, supported biodiversity, food production and livelihoods.
He said the ocean also facilitated transportation and trade while providing opportunities for scientific and economic development.
