By Agrobroadcast Team
The Lagos State Government has called on residents to protect the soil and adopt responsible land-use practices, describing soil health as a cornerstone of human survival, environmental stability, and long-term development.
Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, made the appeal during a briefing in Alausa, Ikeja, to mark the 2025 World Soil Day.
Wahab said the global observance is aimed at raising awareness on soil conservation, promoting sustainable management practices, and supporting healthy ecosystems that ultimately improve human well-being. He stressed that soil is the foundation upon which every thriving society—urban or rural—depends.
“In a megacity like Lagos, healthy soils mean healthy cities,” he said. “Healthy soil supports biodiversity, sustains productivity, strengthens food security, and underpins socioeconomic development. Without fertile soil, humanity will struggle to survive and build resilience.”
The commissioner encouraged Lagos residents to embrace urban agriculture, noting that it enhances food supply while maintaining ecological balance and promoting biodiversity.
Wahab also warned that destructive human activities—including deforestation, unplanned urbanisation, soil sealing, construction, overgrazing, mining, irrigation misuse, excessive agrochemical application, and pollution—must be monitored and controlled in the public interest.
He further emphasised the need for continuous greening of open spaces, saying it plays a major role in mitigating climate change and preserving carbon-rich organic matter found in wetlands.
“The soil is the largest carbon pool on land and a powerful natural buffer,” Wahab said. “It is a vital ecosystem that must be protected. Caring for our soil and the biological processes that sustain life on Earth is a collective responsibility.”
He urged residents to desist from indiscriminate disposal of oil, improper dumping of industrial or urban waste, and the misuse of agrochemicals, cautioning that such practices degrade soil quality and contaminate water and other natural resources.