Seven children line up, awaiting their turn on a slide. As each child rushes down, the ones behind laugh and cheer. At the far end of the park, two barefoot boys race each other toward a bright yellow wall, while two girls giggle as they play on a swing made from old tires.
Such scenes are rare in Lagos, one of Africa’s fastest-growing megacities, with a population of about 17 million. Studies show Lagos has an acute shortage of safe and accessible public parks.
But in the Ikota area on the city’s outskirts, a garbage-dump-turned-park is providing room for kids to roam free and play. The project is the brainchild of 17-year-old Amara Nwuneli, who is determined to prove that even in Lagos’ most crowded corners, children, too, can have fun.
Why We Wrote This
In Lagos, Nigeria’s most populous city, many children lack safe, accessible playgrounds. Eco-conscious teen Amara Nwuneli is determined to prove that even in the most crowded corners, children can have fun.
“I grew up in Lagos, and I know what it feels like not to have a place to just be a child,” Amara says. “This park is about giving back that freedom.”
Mobilizing the grassroots
Lagos residents deeply feel the absence of parks. Many children spend their afternoons and weekends indoors, transfixed by their digital devices. For adults, traffic congestion on the way to and from work eats up multiple hours of the day. Lagos residents lose an estimated 4 trillion naira annually (about $2.7 billion) in productivity because of gridlock on the roads.
For Amara, the path to building parks began when a natural disaster struck her home city.
In 2020, when Amara was 12, Lagos endured one of its worst floods. Heavy rains swallowed entire neighborhoods, forcing thousands of families, including hers, to evacuate. Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency reported that more than three-quarters of states were affected across the country.
“People just said it was government failure or bad luck,” Amara recalls. “But, later, I realized it was part of a much bigger problem.”
She began reading about climate change and soon recognized what she calls Nigeria’s “climate apathy”: the tendency to view floods, heat waves, and erosion as isolated calamities rather than symptoms of a warming planet.
“I wanted to change the narrative,” Amara says. “If people don’t feel connected to nature, they won’t fight to protect it. And I knew that had to start with education, and with creating spaces people could actually see and feel.”
By age 13, she was already running book drives for rural schools and leading small fundraisers. She also raised money through an online campaign and a short film to rebuild two schools destroyed by flooding. This success convinced her that she could mobilize others. It also led to the creation of Preserve Our Roots (POR), a youth-led educational nonprofit that organizes beach cleanups and environmental clubs, among other activities.
But Amara wanted climate action to mean solving everyday problems. That was how the GREEN Initiative, an effort under POR focused on building community parks, was born.
It wasn’t simple to execute. Amara first approached the Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency, which offered land but imposed restrictions that made long-term construction impossible. After months of dead ends, she shifted strategy.
“We started looking for alternative spaces … that were accessible to high-risk communities rather than just elite neighborhoods,” Amara says.
Eventually, the nonprofit secured a
garbage-strewn site close to Ikota Market, a sprawling outdoor shopping area. Amara then mobilized a team of artisans, volunteers, and small donors to clear the trash and rebuild the site with recycled materials. Discarded tires became swings, and reclaimed wood was turned into benches. The space was also enlivened with murals painted by local artists.
The park opened in March.
“People laughed at first, saying it was impossible,” Amara remembers. “But I wanted the children to see they deserve beauty, too.”
Sowing seeds for the future
Researchers have long emphasized that safe parks are critical for children’s development, as they improve cognitive and social skills and foster stronger community ties. A study from the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, known as UN-Habitat, shows that children who live near parks are far more likely to get daily exercise, while the absence of such spaces correlates with rising childhood obesity rates and respiratory problems.
In Lagos, where functional parks are scarce, the Ikota playground is already showing these benefits.
“Before this park, my son was always indoors glued to a phone,” says Chinyere Okafor, a mother of two. “Now, he’s made new friends, and I can see how much happier he is.”
Esther Alaribe, the programs manager at Bethesda Child Support Foundation, a nonprofit-run school that uses the park, says its impact goes far beyond recreation.
“It gives our pupils a chance to relax, interact, and enjoy learning more,” she explains. “Play may seem simple, but it shapes who children become. It makes them more flexible, social, and confident.”
Just as important, she adds, is that the park is free.
“We need more of these initiatives,” Ms. Alaribe says, adding that most recreational spaces in Lagos charge an access fee, which many children from low-income families can’t afford. “If we are serious about raising healthier, well-adjusted adults, then creating free, safe spaces for children to play and interact should be a priority.”
The success of the Ikota playground, which is known as the GREEN park, has brought Amara accolades. This year, she was named the African regional winner of the Earth Prize, an international award honoring young innovators tackling environmental challenges.
“By weaving narratives of resilience and empowerment,” the award’s website says, “GREEN encourages individuals to believe that their actions matter.”
Amara is now planning two more parks, including one in Anambra state, the business hub of southeastern Nigeria.
She says communities from across the country have been reaching out to her team for advice on how to reclaim abandoned spaces for public use.
“That creates a kind of cycle,” Amara reflects with obvious pride. “I take action, others notice, they want to take action, too. And together, it grows.”
