…as DAWN Foundation celebrates another prize giving milestone on environmental sustainability project.

By Chris Onuoha

The DAWN Foundation, an environmental conservation organization, has marked another prize giving ceremony in Lagos. The programme titled, ‘2023: Award and prize giving ceremony’, was with theme: “Nature’s Resilience: The Beauty of our world.”

The even held last on Wednesday December 6, at the Nigeria  institute of International Studies (NIIA) Victoria Island had in hands experts who delivered environmental friendly speeches among other things, to chart way forward towards addressing climate challenges in the country and global space in general.

Among the environmentalists that graced the ceremony include Professor Akin Abayomi, Lagos State Commissioner of Health who was the special guest of honour and keynote speaker, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, the Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos (UNILAG); Desmond Majekodunmi, environmental activists and founder, LUFASI PARK; Stanley Evans MBE, Collaborator, DAWNProject; Ireti Doyle, prominent Nollywood actress, among others.

Prof Folasade Ogunsola, the Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos in her goodwill message extol the virtues of coordinators of DAWN Foundation and especially, Dr. Pamela Ajayi for her great commitment and consistency towards environmental sustainability project.

She said, “I want to congratulate Dr. Pamela Ajayi for being persistent in the Dawn project and bringing the young ones together. In life, it doesn’t really matter what you do, but what you do moving forward.

“We have to reverse the trend and improve environmental sustainability. This is the defining moment for our generation. Everyone knows and says it affects us. We can’t sit here and watch. The earth temperature is rising, the ice caps are swelling,  the sea level are rising and there are floods everywhere. All these affect our food security and we keep talking about future when solutions are not just in our hands but in the hands of everybody here. It will keep getting worse unless we join hands to do something and start now.

“I want to say that the worst is yet to come unless we join the movement. Let’s see today as not just a competition but being inducted into a movement. I commend the cofounder of Dawn project for keeping the responsibility working from their corners. We need to get into what I call the mantra: “rescue, repair, reuse and recycle.”  Let it be a fashion. Let us also think about the trashed we throw out. Many times we throw trash out, it clogs our water ways and pollute our environment,” Prof Ogunsola added.

Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof Abayomi in his remark and keynotes commended the project initiators to have deemed it wise to create a platform that deals with environmental issues in the society. He noted that it is important to teach the children the principles of protecting the environment either by conserving or replenishing where we destroyed.

“We would like to encourage the private sector and civil societies to key into the same mission and vision of the government for a healthier lifestyle of our citizens. Environmental toxicity and recycling are activities we really want to encourage in the communities and to promote a healthier environment and ultimately a healthier Lagos,” Abayomi said.

Desmond Majekodunmi, co-founder, Dawn Foundation while  chatting with the media stated that every citizen is expected to do more to save the earth.

“We, as citizens of this planet are in a very precarious positions and we are not really doing enough to ensure that our earth is protected to continue, to be able to supply our life support. Everything we need for our survival comes from the earth. Like Prof Abayomi said, that if we do not have a healthy earth, we cannot have healthy people. If the earth is critically ill, then the people would be ill as well. This is exactly what is happening as a result of all the negative things we are doing to the earth. Massive amount of pollution everywhere, and nature is a very powerful force that you cannot fight. It will give you back what you give to it and that is exactly what is happening now.

“2023 will go down in the history as the hottest year recorded. And there has been about four of those hottest years in the history. Science has told us that this would happen and we are not doing enough, what we are supposed to do,” he said.

On her part, the convener and founder of the DAWN project, Dr. Pamela Ajayi, Director at Bridge Clinic said, “We are advocating that  everybody should join with us at the Dawn project. We have been on this for several years and we know that the damages are done to the earth. We also know the extent it was done. We are equally happy that Nigerians are waking up to the call. We are creating awareness from young children up to adults. We do this as we attract thousands of people that are participating in our competition. We also need to push out the awareness, to let people know that these things are affecting our health.  We may not rely on foreign information about things happening on the global scale while ignoring the fact that in Nigeria,  a lot is happening.  The climate is changing rapidly.

“It was said statistically that Nigeria has only 30 percent forest cover. Our nation is in trouble and there is need to take the information out to the public. In our own individual way, we are doing this to support and preserve the ecosystem.  The question is when last did anyone plant a tree or encouraged others to do so? We need to plant trees. We must have nature.  We also passing a message about renewable energy, solar power.  How can we stop people from buying generators? A lot of people are dying because of gas pollution from them. We must stop this by doing more for the ecosystem,” she added.

Meanwhile,  during the award and prize giving session, several students and individuals who performed very well in the competition and excelled were rewarded for their outstanding performances.

They include Okeke Chiamaka who won the first position in the junior writing category while Christiana Ojeade took the first prize under 14 to 17 years category. Category 7 to 13 years was won by Harriet Ariyo with other runners up. Several other prizes were carted by other winners whose brilliant performances were all appreciated in line with environmental sustainability project works.