Ambassador Victor Asije, a certified Sub-Saharan African member of the International Association for Community Development (IACD) headquartered in Glasgow, Scotland, has called on Nigerian and other African relevant government agencies and town planners, to begin to construct bicycle lanes in newly developed communities.
Asije said in message to mark this year’s World Bicycle Day, that the enabling environment should be created for more Nigerians and other Africans to begin to embrace the use of bicycles.
The Ambassador expressed optimism that imbibing the culture of bicycling would positively impart the people’s health, and enhance eco-friendlines.
“As the world, today,observes this year’s World Bicycle Day,I warmly called on Nigerian and Africa governments,and private town planners to evolve implementable blueprints for constructing bicycle lanes, especially on newly being developed communities and cities.
“Bicycling,as we know,is almost as old as man with its yet to be fully realized benefits!. I am, therefore, calling on the relevant government agencies, and town planners to create the enabling environment for more Nigerians and other Africans to begin to embrace bicycling.
“With the current, growing, harrowing traffic congestions, and other problems of urbanisation in major cities, encouraging more people in the use of bicycles would be life-shaping, and life-enhancing.” he said.
The community development practitioner added that the use of bicycles, would not only bring people closer to nature, but was an accessible, cheap, and refreshing means of transportation to most Nigerians and other Africans.
Asije said that it was vitally important for more affluent and low-income Nigerians and Africans to know that, bicycling enhances sustainable development, health, disease prevention, and environmental harmony.
He maintained that the practice of bicycle transportation would reduce the current pressure on highways, cities’ roads, and reduce vehicular emissions.
According to the Ambassador, studies have continued to come up with findings that bicycling enhances cardiovascular fitness, weight management, brain functionality, muscles and joints, good sleep, longer life, reduced cost of transportation, and eco-friendliness.
Asije, who also cautioned Nigerian and other Africans’ motorists, and commuters against prolonged exposure to air conditioning, said that studies had shown that prolonged air conditioning could result in dehydration,dry eyes, and respiratory hitches, when wrongly used.
“Studies are showing that prolonged use of air conditioning has its health implications.
“So I will like to enjion more of us, to urgently begin to rethink balancing our time in air conditioning with bicycling.
“From experiences and studies, regular bicycling is refreshing, uninhibited,thrilling, adventurous,and healthful.No wonder, the affluent and low-income earners in bicycle-cultured countries of the world, live healthier, happier, and longer lives.” Asije said.
The community development practitioner enjioned more Nigerians, and Africans to begin to move away from seeing traveling in cars, and buses as “status symbols”, but to always take issues of their health,and exposure to all that nature had offered, seriously.
Asije said that there was nothing as good as having direct contact with sunlight, natural air, and ecosystem, adding that such contact were better appreciated when bicycling.
“And to be quite frank with us all, bicycling brings us closer to nature, natural air,serenity, comportment, healthiness,sightseeing, chirping of animals, and other benefits.” he said.