Lagos Builds Infrastructure to Reduce Carbon Footprint

As part of efforts to reduce the carbon footprint in Lagos, the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has stated that the state government has begun the building of low carbon healthcare infrastructure facilities in the state.

He stated that the administration would build healthcare infrastructure that are 50 per cent less carbon and 50 per cent less energy dependent, adding that they are investing in renewable energy, “we are cooling down the buildings and we have special designers building our primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities.”

Sanwo-Olu, who disclosed this at the Climate Change Conference, COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, recently while making a presentation on the state government efforts in improving healthcare in the state, revealed the state government was building its health infrastructures in the state to be net zero and ensure that fossil fuel are not used to generate power or cool down the facilities.

He said part of the plan is to use natural ventilation or solar power or special designs or wind to cool their buildings and power electricity.

He disclosed that the state government is addressing healthcare delivery holistically through the one health agenda programme, noting that an individual is only as healthy if the environment is healthy too.

Sanwo-Olu, who was represented at the conference by the Commissioner for Health, Professor, Akin Abayomi, hinted that the administration was looking at healthcare delivery from a proactive prevention strategy rather than just building hospitals to treat ailments, “let people breathe better air, and drink good water.”

“The goal is that the healthcare facilities will be naturally cool, requiring less energy to maintain. We don’t want to use air conditioners. We are also looking at the different environments in Lagos such as heat island, coastal, land field, and sand field. So, you cannot say you want to build the same house on heat island and land fields, or the same house in coastal or flood prone areas. You need specialist designers. In Lagos, we are paying attention to energy, functionality and maintenance.

“The one health agenda encompasses environment. The carbon footprint is increasing daily because of the influx of people entering Lagos every time. The state government is here in Glasgow to support the federal climate adaptation and mitigation strategy because if they federal government is able to push the desert back; you will have less people coming from the south. If we are able to plan the required number of trees in Nigeria, stop deforestation, then you are going to make life comfortable for Nigerians in every state in Nigeria which will stop the rural to urban migration. Lagos has a climate adaptation plan breakdown into adaptation and mitigation. So, every agency is developing their own strategy to address mitigation and adaptation. The health ministry is teaming up with the Ministry of environment in a very strategic way because we are aware that the ministry of environment is relevant stakeholder in this effort.”

Speaking on the state government’s efforts to combat COVID-19 pandemic, he stated that the administration has analysed the three waves in the state, noting that what triggers the increased wave in the state is the influx of people to the state, “which coincides with the big holidays.”

He further explained that in anticipation of the new wave that would come in the Christmas holidays, the state government is putting in place two things; a mass vaccination campaign, where the state government would embark on 8,000 dose vaccination which is four million people before the holidays.

He remarked the campaign has already started, while pointing out that they have engaged the private sector to join the campaign because delivering the amount of vaccine involved requires collaboration of public and private sector.

He added that the state government is recruiting 100 private sector facilities to participate in the state vaccination campaign.

He affirmed that the vaccination would remain free in the public sector, but in the private sector, they need to recoup their cost for administering the vaccine, you are not buying the vaccine, “but if you go to the private sector would pay for the syringe and manpower, it is a small amount.”