On Tuesday July 14, 2015, foremost cosmetic company run by renowned city clothier, Lanre Ogunlesi, hosted the annual Industrial Tree Planting Campaign at the Oregun facility in Lagos.
With the hosting, Skin Care joined a select and distinguished corps of environmentally conscious companies that include Nigerian Breweries and Guinness which hosted the event in 2013 and 2014 respectively.
In his remarks, foremost city clothier, man of style and managing director and chief executive officer, Skin Beauty, Lanre Ogunlesi said his company was “delighted to be partnering with the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency in an initiative that has not only changed the face of Lagos state but is dear to our hearts as a company. As a company involved in health care and beauty we are mindful of the harmful effects the ozone layer depletion can have on our skin and are careful to ensure that we help reverse the ravages of desertification and deforestation.”
Continuing, Ogunlesi added: “the campaign must not end on July 14 and must not be left to the government alone. Every Nigerian should be involved in ensuring that we stop felling trees and start planting because as the theme makes clear, trees are essential as the lungs of the earth”
The partnership which was facilitated through the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) saw the symbolic planting of four trees within and outside the company premises in Oregun, Lagos.
Speaking during the formal ceremony that preceded the planting of trees, the Lagos state governor, Akinwumi Ambode, represented by the General Manager, LASEPA, Engineer Adebola Shabi, said the tree planting exercise is a means of renewing “our commitment to the preservation of our environment, mitigation of global warming and its attendant climate change.”
The governor also remarked that about “5.9million trees have been planted in Lagos state since the state government initiated its tree planting and beautification campaign while over 95,000 jobs have been created for various categories of artisans and professionals.”
This year’s event which proceeded under the theme “Trees…the lungs of the earth” was put together as a collaborative effort by LASEPA in partnership with Skin Beauty Limited.
In his address, General Manager Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) Shabi, told the gathering that the tree planting campaign is an imperative that requires support from all because “trees are an important, cost effective solution to reducing pollution and improving air quality…it is therefore safe to conclude that the more trees we plant, the more we reclaim our forest, preserve the ecosystem, improve aesthetics and sustain a healthy environment.”
The Lagos state the tree planting campaign was flagged off in September 2008 by the immediate past governor, Babatunde Fashola, who said that the campaign was aimed at “making residents aware of the importance of tree planting as a means of mitigating against climate change.”
