In achieving this, the agency, in a statement on Sunday, said it is scaling up its advocacy campaigns in schools and colleges to involve youths in the implementation of government reform policies geared towards combating climate change and the greenhouse effect for sustainable environmental growth.

As part of its school advocacy programs for the 2024 World Environment Day celebration, the agency stated that it is partnering with Dangote Industries and Nigerian Breweries to sponsor an essay competition among undergraduate students across all tertiary institutions in the state as a way of involving youths in the task of environmental preservation.

LASEPA’s General Manager, Dr. Tunde Ajayi, disclosed this during a pre-event press conference held in Alausa. He stated that the essay competition is aimed at raising the consciousness of youth on environmental preservation, desertification, and other climate change mitigation efforts towards achieving a sustainable environment for healthy living.

The theme of the 2024 World Environment Day, according to LASEPA’s boss, is “Land Restoration, Desertification, and Drought Resilience,” which also forms the topic on which undergraduate participants in the competition will be tasked. He said participating students are expected to provide a write-up that addresses environmental challenges in the state while exploring innovative solutions that could be useful in policy formulation.

The General Manager revealed that the essay competition is open to undergraduate students of all tertiary institutions in the state and will attract a cash prize of N500,000 for the overall winner, while the second and third runners-up will go home with N300,000 and N200,000, respectively.

Ajayi explained further that there would be other consolation prizes for the participants in the competition, including becoming LASEPA’s ambassador on environmental protection, gaining free access to LASEPA’s e-Library, and using LASEPA’s ISO-certified laboratories and other facilities for learning and research development.

He urged undergraduates across all tertiary institutions in the state to take advantage of the competition to enrich themselves in knowledge and material resources, adding that every undergraduate student in all tertiary institutions in the state is qualified to participate. The entry for participation closes on Wednesday, June 5, 2024.

For details on how to participate and other necessary guidelines, Ajayi urged interested undergraduate students to visit info@lasepa.gov.ng or the agency’s social media handles.

In addition, the General Manager noted that relevant information and requirements for the essay competition have been sent to all tertiary institutions in Lagos. After the submission deadline on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, a panel of judges, carefully selected on merit, will grade the quality of the work submitted by participants to determine the winners.

Ajayi commended Dangote Industries, Nigerian Breweries, and other sponsors for prioritising environmental sustainability in their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy and assured that the state government would continue to create an enabling environment for business growth in the state.

He added that the agency would not relent in implementing government policies that guarantee a sustainable environment free from pollution and other environmental infractions detrimental to the health of the citizenry.