Politics

Embrace climate-friendly attitude, Lagos governor urges residents

Published

5 years ago

June 9, 2021

… launches five-year climate action plan

By Dada Jackson

The Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, says the impact of climate change is no longer a theoretical threat but a reality and urges Lagosians to embrace a climate-friendly attitude.

He discloses this in an address he delivered at the opening ceremony of the state’s 8th International Climate Change Summit with the theme ‘Adapting Health, Energy, Agriculture, Transportation and Waste Infrastructure to the long-term Impact of Climate Change in Lagos’.

According to him, the impact of climate change being witnessed in some parts of the world has necessitated the need to urgently address the issue.

He admonished Lagosians to join the fight against climate change by adopting a climate friendly attitude in order to mitigate the effect on the society.

The governor pointed out that year 2020 was the worst year of climate change, adding that some countries recorded very devastating casualties as a result of the effects of climate.

He used the occasion of the opening ceremony to launch the Climate Action Plan (CAP 2020-2025).

With the new document, the state government will be responding to prevailing issues threatening the realisation of zero-carbon ambition, which are energy use, waste management and transport. They account for 90 per cent of total greenhouse gas emission in Lagos.

The summit also focused on the relationship between climate change and delivery of critical infrastructure transportation, agriculture and healthcare sectors.

Given the state’s topography and proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, the governor said Lagos is vulnerable to adverse events resulting from natural causes.

This, he said, prompted his administration to update the action plan to facilitate proactive response and clear strategy in mitigating the effects on global warming on the environment and the state economy.

He said, “This summit is an opportunity for us to present new Lagos State Climate Action Plan to the world. Painstaking effort has gone into it, and we are proud that we have been able to come up with a document that has robust plan for the environment.

“We have successfully updated the climate change action document adopted by Lagos in 2015 to reflect the targets and goals of the Paris Climate Change Agreement. The final product is the ‘Lagos Climate Action Plan: Second Five-year Plan 2020- 2025.

“The updated Climate Action Plan reveals three main areas of threat to our zero-carbon ambition in Lagos, which are energy, waste and transport. They account for 90 per cent of our total greenhouse gas emission. We are now more adept at incorporating climate-friendly thinking into everything we do as a Government. Our goal is to entrench the action plan across the entire State, and get Lagosians imbibe the culture of climate-awareness in their homes, workplaces and lifestyles.”

Sanwo-Olu said most of the projects being undertaken by his administration were to address climate change and fast-track attainment of the zero-carbon goal in transportation, healthcare, energy, agriculture and waste management.

He said his government’s public transport reform sought to reduce number of personal vehicles on the roads, by providing alternative transportation model in form of low-emission buses and rail connections.

The state government, Sanwo-Olu pointed out, had adopted composting, recycling and waste-to-energy as part of the strategies to improve the quality of waste management in Lagos.

In the energy sector, Sanwo-Olu said the government would be rolling out opportunities in usage of off-grid solar systems to connect public schools, hospitals, government offices and public facilities.

He added that the state was looking into the exploring option of incentives to homes to move from fossil fuel generators to solar systems.

He said, “Lagos has been outstanding in the annual environmental reporting on the global disclosure system by the CDP, an international non-profit that measures the commitments of investors, companies, cities, states and regions to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. For three consecutive years, Lagos has emerged with a B score, which is well above the African and Global average score. This annual reporting has helped us greatly in understanding where we are and what still needs to be done.”

The governor thanked his predecessors for laying the foundation of developing Climate Action Plan, paving the way for consolidation by his administration.

Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tunji Bello, said the summit, since inception in 2009, had become a melting pot for researchers, investors, academicians and stakeholders in the environment and economic sectors to take unified decisions.

Bello praised Sanwo-Olu for bringing back the climate summit, five years after the event was held.

He said, “Around the world, governments and businesses are planning for climate instability. From flood defences to foreign aid, climate change is now part of policy and public discussions.

“The theme of this summit cannot be more apt than now because we have reached a point where Lagos needs to be intentional on projects and programmes that will be climate change compliant.”

Related Topics:climate change LASG Sanwo-Olu

Up Next

Anambra guber: Court nullifies PDP executive, S’East congresses

Don't Miss

INEC to publish newly created polling units next week

Politics

Tinubu Hails Wike as APC Dominates 2026 FCT Area Council Elections

Published

15 hours ago

February 22, 2026

Trends Admin

President Bola Tinubu and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike

Tinubu Hails Wike as APC Dominates 2026 FCT Area Council Elections

President Bola Tinubu has commended the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, for his outstanding contributions to the success of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the recently concluded 2026 FCT Area Council elections.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) conducted polls across the six area councils of the FCT — Abaji, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, and Kwali — on February 21, 2026. The APC secured victories in Abaji, AMAC, Bwari, and Kwali, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won in Gwagwalada.

In a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Sunday, Tinubu congratulated all successful candidates and praised the peaceful and credible conduct of the elections, noting the efforts of INEC, security agencies, and voters.

Tinubu Hails Wike as APC Dominates 2026 FCT Area Council Elections

Politics

PDP Heads to Court Over FCT Polls, Cites Video Evidence of Irregularities

Published

18 hours ago

February 22, 2026

Trends Admin

PDP Heads to Court Over FCT Polls, Cites Video Evidence of Irregularities

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has announced plans to challenge the outcome of the February 21, 2026 Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory, declaring that it is heading to court with what it described as strong video and documentary evidence of electoral irregularities.

The move follows the conclusion of voting across the six FCT area councils — Abaji, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Kwali — with official results released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) showing a clear advantage for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

According to the results, the APC won chairmanship seats in Abaji, AMAC, Bwari and Kwali, while the PDP recorded its only victory in Gwagwalada Area Council.

PDP Sets Up Legal Team

In a statement signed by the party’s spokesperson, Ini Ememobong, the PDP disclosed that it has constituted a special legal team to prosecute all election-related petitions arising from the FCT council polls. The team is headed by the party’s National Legal Adviser, Shafi Bara’u.

Claims of Intimidation and Manipulation

The PDP accused security agencies and other actors of interfering in the electoral process, alleging widespread intimidation, vote suppression, and manipulation at polling units and during result collation.

“We specifically congratulate the Chairman-elect of Gwagwalada Area Council, Mohammed Kasim, and the councillors declared successful by INEC,” the statement said.

“This victory, though fewer than expected, is particularly significant given the background of unprecedented intimidation, high-powered money politics, and brazen executive brigandage witnessed during the elections.”

The party insisted it has visual records allegedly showing armed security personnel carting away result sheets, intimidating voters, and influencing outcomes in several polling units.

Voter Apathy and Electoral Reform

Beyond the legal challenge, the PDP blamed low voter turnout on what it described as declining public trust in Nigeria’s electoral system. The party argued that repeated controversies surrounding elections have weakened confidence among voters.

It warned that the FCT council elections could be a signal ahead of the 2027 general elections if urgent reforms are not implemented.

Call for Intervention

The opposition party called on the President and the National Assembly to urgently intervene by reforming the electoral framework, strengthening transparency, and limiting security interference in elections.

With post-election litigation now looming, political focus in the FCT is shifting from the ballot box to the courtroom as parties prepare for legal battles that could reshape grassroots governance in the nation’s capital.

PDP Heads to Court Over FCT Polls, Cites Video Evidence of Irregularities

Politics

FCT Council polls: APC Wins Four Chairmanship Seats as PDP Takes Gwagwalada

Published

18 hours ago

February 22, 2026

Trends Admin

FCT Council polls: APC Wins Four Chairmanship Seats as PDP Takes Gwagwalada

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has recorded a strong showing in the 2026 FCT Area Council elections, securing four chairmanship seats across the Federal Capital Territory, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) claimed victory in Gwagwalada Area Council.

The elections were conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the six FCT councils — AMAC, Bwari, Kwali, Abaji, Gwagwalada and Kuje — with chairmen and councillors elected to oversee grassroots governance.

AMAC: Maikalangu Re-elected

In Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Christopher Maikalangu of the APC was re-elected after polling 40,295 votes, the highest in the contest. A total of 62,861 valid votes were recorded out of 65,197 votes cast.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) placed second with 12,109 votes, while the PDP trailed with 3,398 votes. Rejected votes stood at 2,336, with 837,338 registered voters and 65,676 accredited voters in the council.

Bwari: APC Clinches Clear Win

In Bwari Area Council, Joshua Ishaku of the APC emerged winner with 18,466 votes, defeating candidates of the ADC (4,254 votes) and the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) (3,515 votes). The election covered 10 wards, including Kubwa, Ushafa, Dutse, Byazhin and Bwari Central.

Kwali: APC Extends Lead

The APC also won in Kwali Area Council, where Daniel Nuhu secured the chairmanship seat with 17,032 votes, beating Haruna Pai of the PDP who polled 8,575 votes.

Abaji: APC Dominates

In Abaji Area Council, Umar Abdullahi Abubakar of the APC was declared winner after scoring 15,535 votes. The Young Progressives Party (YPP) followed with 5,357 votes, while the PDP recorded 4,547 votes. The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and ADC polled 53 and 37 votes respectively.

Gwagwalada: PDP Breaks APC Run

The PDP secured its only victory so far in Gwagwalada Area Council, preventing an APC sweep of the FCT councils.

Kuje Result Awaited

As of the time of filing this report, results from Kuje Area Council were still being awaited, with collation ongoing and an official announcement expected shortly.

Election Snapshot

So far, the APC has won in AMAC, Bwari, Kwali and Abaji, while the PDP has taken Gwagwalada, leaving Kuje as the final undecided council. The polls were largely peaceful, though voter turnout varied across councils.