The Lagos State Government has urged youths to take active roles in protecting the ocean and coastal environment.

Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, Dr. Mobalaji Gaji, gave the charge on Monday at the opening of the 2026 Young Leaders for Sustainable Environment Programme (YLSEP) in Lagos.

The programme, organised by Eko EnvironTalk, has the theme: “Ocean Heroes, Guardians of the Blue.”

He said Lagos’ lagoon, creeks, wetlands and Atlantic shoreline were critical infrastructure for the state’s economy, food systems and climate resilience.

He identified plastic pollution, blocked waterways, mangrove destruction, coastal erosion and climate change as major threats to the state’s coastal ecosystems.

“Government policies alone will not save our ocean and our coast. Policy determines direction; it is people, informed, motivated and organised people, that determine whether that direction is actually followed,” he said.

The permanent secretary said the state government had responded to environmental pressures through climate action, adaptation and resilience measures, waste management and environmental restoration.

He said the Lagos State Waste Management Authority, Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency and Lagos State Waterways Authority were at the forefront of those efforts.

Gaji said young people were not merely beneficiaries of a liveable future but active participants in protecting it.

He encouraged participants to see the programme as the beginning of a lifelong role as advocates in their schools, communities and environmental institutions.

According to him, the ministry was open to youths interested in understanding environmental governance and contributing ideas towards improving environmental management in the state.

He urged participants to use their digital skills and social media platforms to promote environmental awareness and influence positive behavioural change.

Gaji commended Eko EnvironTalk and its partners, Gracefield Island and the International Ocean Institute (IOI) Nigeria Centre, for investing in youth environmental education.

He officially declared the 2026 YLSEP, themed “Ocean Heroes, Guardians of the Blue,” open.

Earlier, Mr. Lasisi Adedoyin, Convener of Eko EnvironTalk, said the programme was founded on the belief that young people could drive meaningful environmental change.

Adedoyin welcomed representatives of the Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, Gracefield Island, IOI Nigeria Centre and other programme partners.

He said the theme was particularly relevant to Lagos, given the pressure on its lagoons, coastlines, creeks and seas from plastic pollution and other environmental threats.

 “Our lagoons, our coastlines, our creeks and our seas are under pressure as never before,” he said.

Adedoyin said plastic bottles and waste were polluting waterways and threatening marine life, adding that the ocean should not be treated as a dumping ground.

He said the ocean represented life and the future of communities, stressing the need for collective action to protect it.

According to him, the programme would expose participants to the science behind ocean and coastal ecosystems and the effects of plastic pollution and climate change.

He said participants would also learn practical and community-based approaches for turning environmental concerns into concrete action.

Adedoyin said previous cohorts had produced sustainability champions who led projects and influenced environmental conversations in schools, campuses and communities.

He urged the new cohort to embrace the opportunity to build knowledge, networks and a strong sense of purpose.

The convener appreciated the programme’s partners and sponsors, noting that initiatives of such magnitude required sustained collaboration and commitment.

He said the objective was to build a growing community of young sustainability champions capable of taking environmental action beyond the programme.