By Emeka Oluka & Femi Dansu
A renowned expert in Environmental and Analytical Chemistry, in the Department of Environmental Management and Toxicology (EMT), College of Environmental Resources Management (COLERM), Prof. Olukayode Bamgbose has passionately called for a collective action in the fight for a healthier environment, aiming to significantly diminish the human footprint on Earth.
Prof. Bamgbose unveiled these insights during the 84th Inaugural Lecture held at the Professor Oluwafemi Balogun Ceremonial Building on January 17, 2024.
The Lecture, titled “In the Footprints of the Environment: Every Contact Leaves a Trace on our Common Future,” emphasised the imperative of acknowledging and addressing the escalating environmental impact caused by human activities.
To support his case, Prof. Bamgbose recommended increased governmental funding for universities to sustain ongoing research on identifying and mitigating human impacts on the environment.
He proposed utilising the existing geopolitical zones as laboratory complexes with state-of-the-art equipment to fulfill the mandate of monitoring and understanding these impacts comprehensively.
Also, Prof. Bamgbose popularly known as KGB emphasised the necessity of heightened public awareness and education to combat indiscriminate and unwarranted human footprints on the environment.
He asserted that ignorance could be overcome through education and called for a concerted effort to enlighten the populace on the importance of responsible environmental behavior.
Prof. Bamgbose highlighted the economic implications, attributing the escalating cost of living to the high fuel prices, which in turn contribute to deforestation and increased environmental damage.
He urged the government to prioritise improving the economy and delivering the positive dividends of democracy to citizens.
According to him, the exponential rise in population, has led to the heightened energy, food, and material consumption, signifying a significant surge in human impact on the environment.
Prof. Bamgbose stressed the critical need to preserve a healthy environment, stressing that this responsibility extends beyond personal interest to encompass future generations, while advocating for a legacy of a clean, habitable, and safe environment for the global community.
Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Babatunde Kehinde noted that the Lecture marked the second in the Department’s history and the twelfth in the College of Environmental Resources Management.
He extolled Prof. Bamgbose’s virtues, describing him as a stalwart who stands by whatever cause he believed in.
