General Manager of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), Dr Babatunde Ajayi has described young people as critical drivers of environmental change and effective advocacy.
Speaking at the 2026 Inter-Tertiary Institutions Environmental Summit in Lagos, Dr. Babatunde Ajayi said: “I’m a very strong believer in efficient advocacy. The best way to make change happen is through young people who are still able to change their minds.”
The Summit was held to engage students in discussions on environmental sustainability and transboundary pollution. It brought together students from the University of Lagos and Lagos State University for debates and discussions on environmental issues.
LASEPA General Manager described universities as the bedrock for nurturing future environmental advocates and sustainability champions.
He said that the summit focused on transboundary pollution and its impact on air, land and water resources across communities and countries.
According to him, pollution generated in one location can spread beyond borders and affect neighbouring regions.
“If you have intense air pollution in Lagos, acid rain can be experienced in Benin Republic, Togo, Ghana and even Burkina Faso.”
Dr. Babatunde Ajay made reference to the recent Ojodu pollution incident, and said that discussions on such occurrences would help prevent a recurrence.
“We feel that bringing this situation again to the limelight and making it the subject of discussion is one way to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
This was even as the Director of Partnerships, Grants Management and Innovation at LASEPA, Mrs. Shonibare Olabisi, said that more than 300 entries were received from public and private tertiary institutions across the state.
She said that 212 essays qualified after screening by lecturers from the University of Lagos, while 10 students were shortlisted for the preliminary debate stage.
Olabisi quoted former South African President Nelson Mandela as saying: “It always seems impossible until it is done.”
She praised the students for emerging among the top entries within three weeks of submissions.
According to her, the preliminary stage will produce six finalists for the grand finale scheduled for June 9 at the LASEPA Auditorium.
An environmental expert, Olayinka Omotosho, argued that issues such as oil spills and water pollution required collaboration between states and the Federal Government.
According to him, many environmental challenges cut across jurisdictions and cannot be addressed through isolated state actions.
The debate was centred on the topic: “Combating Transboundary Pollution in Lagos State: A City-Level Intervention or National Effort?”
The shortlisted students defended opposing positions before a panel of judges and environmental experts.
One group argued that stronger state-level environmental regulations offered the most effective response to transboundary pollution, while the other maintained that national-level interventions would yield better results.
Speaking during the session, Olabisi said that effective pollution control within states would prevent environmental problems from spreading beyond their borders.
At the end of the contest, six students qualified for the grand finale scheduled for June 9.
