Leadership (Abuja)
Pamela Sombo
1 September 2008
analysis
Parks and gardens have been seen to act as recreational facilities to many. In many societies, they serve as relaxation spots where many people unwind and calm their nerves after a long and hard day work. While they serve as places for relaxation, they could as well be used as sources of employment opportunities.
In this piece, PAMELA SOMBO examines the impact of parks and gardens on the residents of Abuja.
The idea of parks and gardens is the process of shaping, modifying and creating an outdoor scene in a way to effectively express the attribute of the public domains within the environment.
By public domain, it means the collective spaces within which most of the day-to-day experiences occur in an environment. This includes parks, gardens, playgrounds and other open spaces among others. Some important elements of parks and gardens are plant materials such as trees, shrubs, ground covers and grasses. They are used in different areas to design, beautify and give the parks a natural look. Also, structural materials, which are man-made elements, are used. They include woods for making chairs, the construction of facilities for sports such as tennis courts, etc.
On the other hand, urban open spaces are regarded as landed areas not built upon and range considerably from natural landscapes to cultural, artificially designed areas and from huge green areas to almost entirely enclosed small outdoor rooms. They are meant to serve as urban parks or as green belts.
Where houses and apartments are situated, much of the land left are open spaces meant for recreation and aesthetic purposes. It seems, however, that the outdoor has been forgotten as a space that needed to be consciously organised for social relationships in an environment. This, in effect, is to promote the conservation, rehabilitation and maintenance of open spaces, landscapes, gardens, parks, etc.
The idea of parks and gardens is an integral part of the human life. They are required to offer relaxation opportunities to people, both young and old. They are places you go to get in tune with nature.
Parks and gardens are places you go to relax. Different people have varied opinions of parks and gardens and they also vary from amusement parks to recreation parks and even ornamental parks. There are neighborhood parks as well as national and district parks.
There are recreation centres created for leisure purposes, entertainment and for aesthetic appreciation. There are also spots that are specifically created for busy people to find a way of unwinding and loosening off steam. To have clarity of mind, new ideas can be even generated from parks due to its serenity. It is for the general well-being of an individual.
Due to the importance the government places on parks and gardens, it recently bided some parks and people tendered their bids. Those that won were allotted the parks to develop and manage. Towards this end, the government, through the department of parks and gardens, has said parks and gardens should be maintained by greening of the environment and planting of trees. Then, standards as fence could be put around the parks.
Most parks and gardens consist of several sections which may include places for young ones where they can go to have fun and even party. Then also, we have the garden section where refreshments could be served.
A visit to the Sentosa Park and Garden, located at the Apo Legislative Quarters, one is captured by its unique serenity, its beauty and nature. The landscape is an attraction to beckon. What captures the mind and heart mostly, is the cool and calm environment that make the park very inviting. Its beauty and serenity make it appealing to anyone looking for a place to relax and find solace away from the hassles of every day life.
The arrangement of the park is enticing and inviting, such that you are attracted to the park even from a distance. The park comprises recreational facilities for children, a garden, an eatery, restaurant and shops where goods are sold. It serves as a recreational facility while also maintaining the ability to unnerve the individual.
This was the opinion of Mark, a visitor to the park, who said the parks are ideal in calming nerves. The regular park visitor explained that the beauty was an attraction even before he knew of the many other facilities it has to offer. Visiting parks generally, he, said, should be park of one's life as it can even serve as a health booster. This is in the sense that relaxation of the mind can go a long way in aiding high blood pressure, depression, etc.
According to the Director General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, the whole idea of having parks in an environment is to relax and give succur to the mind, body and soul.
"It offers solace to an individual not just after the close of work, but even during break time because it helps you to unwind. In foreign countries, when people are on break, they go to parks. We need to develop that culture because food items and a lot of promotional things are being sold at the parks. At the parks, you can relax freely.
"In most cases also, the idea of parks can help in reducing electricity bill and a lot of other bills at home while you relax at the parks. So the culture of only when an individual closes from work is good, but, I also think we should also imbibe the culture of going to the parks when we are on break," he said.
Runsewe, however, observed that "the only thing missing at the parks, which is another aspect of employment creation, is the toilet facility. If toilet facilities are available at parks, it will be much easier for people".
The NTDC boss, who noted that parks are not only for the tourists, pointed out that they could be used to identify strong products that can be of benefits to visitors in the parks, and create employment.
"So parks also create employment. Parks create relaxation, and they are part of health tourism. This is because some doctors will tell you to go to an environment where you can see people and relax your nerves. Having parks in an environment can generate employment, help to develop health tourism and also empower our people," Runsewe added.
The environment is an interactive, indispensable medium through which man's life performance is carried out. The life of a man in his present nature is unimaginable without the environment to supply him with his needs, such as air to breathe, water to drink and wash with, food to eat, and solid materials for fashioning weapons, building shelters and clothing.
It is in the light of this that the Chief Supervisor and Manager of Unique Gardens and Parks, Wuse Zone 5 Abuja, Mr. Malachy Obiora, maintained that "there should be more parks and gardens where people can go for relaxation and have more air".
Furthermore, man's areas of exploitation of the environment are limitless and include those he does unconsciously, as well as others that are still a mystery to him. This exploitation of environmental resources for his needs was initially considered inconsequential, but has changed over time. This is in the face of evidence of uncontrolled urban growth leading to environmental degradation, deformation and depletion of man's supportive resources. So also is the realisation that its reckless exploitation may spell doom or outright extinction for plants and animals, including man.
The Unique Gardens Manager noted that the idea of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to give more attention to the creation of parks and recreation is a good development.
"A garden is a place where refreshments are served in the open and a garden is where flowers are planted and sold. It is a nursery for plants where flowers are used to beautify the environment. There should be more parks and gardens where people can go for relaxation and have more air. That is why since inception, Unique Gardens has a lot of units. Kudos should be given to the former Minister of FCT, Malam Nasiru El-Rufai, who was in total support of park establishment. Now there are more than hundred parks and gardens in the FCT. Coming out to relax matters and helps one a lot. You forget about the office, you relax. Parks even help in reducing high blood pressure. It unwinds you," Obiora said.
On how parks can be used for tourism development, Obiora observed that they are the most attractive sources of revenue generation.
"Parks are natural. When you beautify them, they become enticing. If you go to other countries, they always go to gardens. Even though they have hotels, most hotels have parks at the back. This is due to the serenity of the environment. People lodge at hotels and still go to parks to fish, play ball and just enjoy nature," Obiora noted.
A local tourist, Mr. James Ike, who was at the park, revealed that he considers the impact of parks very important to our social life. And it also has some meaningful impact on tourism. Ike, who explained that most times he leaves his house for the park, said this is due to the serenity of the parks, the landscape, its beauty and the environment.
Mr. Mario Rosini, supervisor of the Salini project on the maintenance of Millennium Park located at the central area district of Abuja, says the park is of benefit to the population, especially as they provide the needed oxygen in densely populated cities like the FCT.
For Rosini, "they are used to renew the air; this is because the air and environment of the park is usually very fresh and serene. The park system increases the beauty of a place. It is a relaxation place; the environment is fresh and calm. Parks give rest to the body, you also get nice conversations with people. There are no dangers in parks".
The Millennium Park, which is all green and rocky, with a stream and water falls, is ideal to get you in tune with nature. This is the view of an Abuja resident who was found relaxing and enjoying the cool breeze of the park.
The resident, who simply gave her name as Juliet, said that sometimes fishes can be seen in the parks' stream, and further observed that the quietness of the park gives you time to meditate.
"This quietness can serve as a place where poets can go to find inspiration. More so, the sound of birds chirpping away relaxes the mind and makes you forget about your problems and rather focusing your attention on the beauty of nature," she informed.
Parks and gardens are places that must be first and foremost beautiful. The beauty must catch your eyes. They must be accessible to everyone. Also, parks should show the environmental features of the country.
Parks affect the sense of beauty of the people. It may not necessarily give resources, but it is a kind of education for people; it is a rest for the body.
People go to parks to relax. This is what parks and gardens are all about. People should not be restricted to just going to parks or gardens. Often times, you see people hosting meetings in parks. Some go to parks with their files from the office because there is nothing as good as fresh air. The concept of relaxing and enjoying oneself is something everyone should make time for. The reality of this is to take a break from serious activities, such as office work and create time to laugh and unwind.
The Federal Government is establishing parks and gardens to serve as recreational purposes. It also established types of parks that are termed game reserves, zoos and zoological gardens. Some game reserves in Nigeria are the Yankari Game Reserve, Jos Wild Life Park, etc. People visit these places to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature. The park is rich in ethno-cultural and archeological attractions.
The environment in a park is downed with unique features of both traditional and modern architecture with improved substitutes of building materials and technology which has been adopted to achieve a successful design in the serene natural environment of the park. It is inhabited by a variety of birds of various species. Other facilities are sporting facilities like lawn tennis courts, boutiques, and pubs where you meet people and just relax.
Taking a walk into the Wonderland Amusement Park situated near the Abuja National Stadium, the rocky surrounding gives the environment a look of nature, thus captivating the mind. The park, which is an ideal location for kids to go and have fun after school, goes to prove the idiomatic expression that 'all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy'.
Wonderland Amusement Park, comprising a wonder castle, Merry-go-round, pirate ship, roller-coaster, bumper ride and an arcade complete with both computer and indoor games, is very delightful for children to play around.
To add to this, the park has facilities such as a swimming pool for people, whose ideal relaxation fantasy is swimming, a boutique for anyone who wishes to indulge in a little shopping after having fun on the numerous facilities. The rocks are ideal for adults who may find the other facilities a little too childish, or may want to be away from the noise of happy children to enjoy the serenity and beauty of nature.
As one sets out, what attract one's attention are bountiful species of plants, and green areas; the conservation and combination of plants, all contribute in making the environment a befitting one for relaxation and a tourist destination for Abuja residents.
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