The Lagos State Government has emphasized that the much-needed transformation in environmental attitudes and practices must start within schools across the state.
This position was made known on Tuesday by the Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental Services, Dr. Omobolaji Gaji, during the 2025 Annual Environmental Bees Club (EBC) Handlers’ Symposium held at the LCCI Conference Centre, Alausa, Ikeja. Represented by the Director of Environmental Education Unit, Mrs. Monsurat Banire, Gaji described the initiative as a “strategic investment in the future of Lagos,” stressing that schools play a central role in shaping how young people think, act, and dream about the environment.
“The Environmental Bees Club is not just an ornament but a framework where students encounter the environment as a daily practice of responsibility, innovation, and leadership,” Gaji said. He added that teachers remain the pivot of the initiative, guiding students to embrace sustainable lifestyles.
This year’s symposium, themed “Trash to Treasure: Transforming Waste into Resourceful Opportunities in Schools,” highlighted practical approaches such as composting, recycling, upcycling, and creative reuse. According to Gaji, these hands-on skills will empower students economically while addressing the challenges of waste management.
He noted that in a megacity like Lagos, with over 20 million residents facing the pressures of urbanisation, waste generation, and climate change, environmental education must be central to survival and growth. “Every lesson improvised and every idea ignited in the students forms a building block towards greener initiatives and lifestyles,” he told participants.
In his welcome remarks, Director of Sanitation, Mr. Ramon Fagbolad, described the EBC as “the government’s living classroom for environmental literacy,” where knowledge is transformed into habits and values. He urged teachers not to see themselves merely as supervisors but as torchbearers of behavioural change in schools.
Guest lecturer, Mrs. Temitope Okunnu of FABE International, spoke on “Composting as a Tool for Food Sustainability” and trained handlers on generating compost from food waste.
The event, attended by teachers from both public and private schools, also featured a planned excursion aimed at grounding classroom lessons in the realities of waste and sustainability in Lagos.
