Lagos Launches Citywide Green Movement to Combat Climate Crisis and Sanitation Challenges

•Greening Lagos Initiative Partners with EOSHE to Tackle Climate Change, Pollution, and Open Defecation

As climate-related disasters become everyday realities for Lagosians, the Greening Lagos Initiative (GLI) has emerged as a bold, citywide response aimed at restoring environmental balance, improving public health, and securing a more sustainable future. With the powerful slogan “Greening Lagos Initiative, Sustaining Our Future: Plant a Tree Today”, the campaign—powered by a partnership with Eko Occupational Safety, Health & Environment (EOSHE)—urges every resident to act.

Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre, now finds itself on the frontlines of climate change. Flooded roads, suffocating heatwaves, and worsening air quality are no longer distant warnings—they are the daily reality for millions.

A Tree Today, A Safer Tomorrow

“This is not just a call—it’s a blueprint for survival,” said Ogboni Fouad Oki, a leading advocate of the initiative. “Each tree we plant is a shield against heat, a sponge against floods, and a breath of fresh air for our communities.”

Scientific estimates highlight the impact of tree planting: one mature tree absorbs approximately 22 kg of carbon dioxide annually, while a pair can remove a full ton of CO₂ over their lifetimes. Trees can cool city streets by up to 10°C, reduce runoff by hundreds of thousands of litres, and prevent soil erosion.

Across Lagos’s 20 Local Government Areas, communities are already reclaiming their green heritage:

• Ikorodu youth collectives have planted over 5,000 saplings under the Adopt a Palm campaign.
• Surulere schools are converting empty spaces into tree gardens and outdoor learning environments.
• Ajah residents, conservationists, and farmers are building an urban greenbelt to defend against coastal flooding.

The vision is simple but transformative: if each of the 22 million Lagosians plants just one tree, the city gains 22 million new lungs.

Trees and Toilets: A Link Between Health and the Environment

But GLI’s ambition doesn’t end with planting trees. It recognizes a vital connection: healthy trees need clean soil—and clean communities need adequate sanitation.

Poor sanitation, particularly open defecation, undermines environmental progress. It pollutes water, poisons soil, and damages the roots of both trees and public health. In Nigeria, inadequate sanitation is linked to over 122,000 preventable deaths annually, according to World Health Organization data.

GLI and EOSHE are integrating WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) strategies alongside tree planting:

• Promoting behaviour-change campaigns around hygiene and toilet use
• Encouraging affordable, community-run toilets in underserved areas
• Launching Sanitation Watch groups to monitor and reward good practices

“Clean soil and clean water are non-negotiable if our urban forests are to thrive,” Oki explained. “We can’t plant hope in polluted ground.”

Empowering the Youth, Greening the Future

At the heart of the initiative is a deep investment in young people. Schools across Lagos are being turned into green incubators:

• Eva Adelaja Girls’ Secondary School and King’s College have set up eco-clubs that manage trees and teach climate action.
• Student-led campaigns have reached over 200,000 peers, linking sanitation education with environmental responsibility.
• From Lekki to Ajegunle, rooftop gardens are becoming classrooms for sustainability.

Teachers are being trained, green competitions are being hosted, and future champions are being celebrated—ensuring that today’s tree planters become tomorrow’s environmental leaders.

From Movement to Milestone

More than a programme, the Greening Lagos Initiative is a growing movement. GLI and EOSHE are:

• Training volunteers in safe planting and care
• Distributing seedlings to schools and communities
• Hosting awareness drives on sanitation and climate change
• Mentoring local green projects for long-term impact

Every Lagosian is invited to participate—whether by planting a tree, spreading awareness, or advocating for better sanitation.

Visit www.eoshe.ng to join.

A Defining Moment for Lagos

The city stands at a historic crossroads: concrete or canopy, crisis or courage. Each action taken today determines the future of Lagos. The initiative’s message is loud and clear: you don’t need wealth or influence to make a difference—just resolve.

Plant a tree. End open defecation. Teach the next generation. Join the Greening Lagos Initiative. Partner with EOSHE. Because when the world needed hope, Lagos planted it.

“Every seed is a prayer. Every leaf, a promise. Every forest, a legacy. Let it be said of us: We did not give up on our future.”

For more information or to get involved, visit www.eoshe.ng