Q: Could you tell us about yourself and how you got involved with the sustainability park?

A: “I work with children with developmental delays using play as my tool, and I’ve done this for about two decades,” Mr Gabriel explains. His path to this specialised field wasn’t conventional. Originally focused on computers and IT, he entered the world of special needs education almost by accident when his future wife, already working in the field, recognised his natural understanding of how children process information.

“I see every human being as an organic computer,” he shares, drawing parallels between his technical background and child development. “We have input, process, and output. We receive information from our environment through our senses, process it in our brains, and provide feedback through our responses. When that processing channel is impaired, you need to adjust how you deliver information.”

This unique perspective led him to a pivotal realisation about play infrastructure in Nigeria. 

“We have a lot of playgrounds, and most of the tools on these playgrounds are imported. The materials are not indigenous; they’re not from our environment.” 

This observation sparked his mission to create locally sourced, sustainable playground equipment and his reputation for creating eco-friendly play spaces eventually reached Amara, founder of PreserveOurRoots, who was seeking someone to design a sustainability park using environmentally conscious materials.

Q: How do you source materials for your playground designs?

Mr Gabriel has developed an innovative supply chain that maximises local resources while minimising environmental impact. “We use wood, used tyres, and metal frames primarily,” he explains, detailing his sourcing strategy:

• Used Tires: He sources them from vulcanizers in his neighbourhood, and they’re usually happy to give him the old tyres that would otherwise be discarded.
• Wood: His approach to wood sourcing is particularly creative. He said, 
  “I use two main types. First, packing wood (the crates used to import goods into Nigeria). This wood is already treated, so the weather doesn’t easily damage it.” He also sources from traditional sawmills when custom cuts are needed.
• Metal: While not recycled, the metal frames come from people who sell them locally to create climbing frames and support structures.

Remarkably, Mr Gabriel estimates that 70% of what they use is sourced locally, with only about 30% imported. The imported material consists of specialised components like plastic swing seats and climbing holds.

Q: What elements were included in the sustainability park?

The completed park featured a comprehensive range of play equipment: swings (including tyre swings, monkey swings, and traditional swings), climbing frames that combined wood, metal, and recycled tyres, slides, and a sandbox area. The space was enhanced with coconut trees planted around the perimeter and colourful murals painted by a local artist, depicting a rainforest scene with trees and flowers.

Q: What challenges did you face during construction?

Despite the project’s ultimate success, several logistical challenges emerged. The major challenge was transporting the play equipment to the location. The delivery team had to time their trips to avoid road routes that would demand money, and cars couldn’t easily reach the installation site.

Power supply proved another obstacle. “The welders needed to use fuel-powered tools rather than relying on electricity from the electricity distribution board,” he explains, highlighting Nigeria’s ongoing infrastructure challenges. 

Fortunately, proximity worked in their favour and they were able to get the project done.

The Hidden Dangers of Screen Time: A Growing Concern

During our conversation, Mr Gabriel raised an important concern about modern parenting trends that directly relate to the importance of physical play spaces. His observations about children’s exposure to gadgets paint a troubling picture of unintended consequences.

“I’m careful how I use gadgets with children because gadgets can be addictive on their own, and can have a counterproductive effect on children,” he explains. His approach is measured: using tablets only to initiate learning processes, as rewards for good behaviour, or as brief interludes during longer activities.

But he’s witnessed firsthand the problems that arise when screen time becomes the default solution. His concern extends beyond individual cases to broader societal trends. He noted that modern-day parents want to reward their children with gadgets, but do not know that that too is counterproductive. This results in children who have certain difficulties in their learning, not because they were born like that, but because their environment has set them up like that.

The Power of Natural Play

This concern about screen dependency underscores why Mr Gabriel’s work with sustainable, nature-based playgrounds is so crucial. “The best form of play is play that’s close to nature,” he emphasises that nature will be trees, sand.

His observations about physical activity’s impact on cognitive function are telling: 

“For me, a sedentary lifestyle is dangerous. When I eventually started driving again, one of the downsides I saw was that I got fatigued easily because I wasn’t getting as much exercise. I used to sleep off while driving.” 

Only when he adjusted his diet and started exercising again did his alertness and his concentration improve.

Q: What’s your vision for the future of sustainable play in Nigeria?

Mr Gabriel’s goal extends far beyond individual projects. His desire is that we have playgrounds that are easily accessible to children across every strata, which includes low-income, average-income, and high-income. Play should not have a barrier.

He emphasises the critical importance of play in child development, noting that the occupational therapist will say the best occupation of a child is to play. The speech and language therapist will say the best language for a child is play.

His vision includes widespread adoption of sustainable playground practices across Nigeria, supported by educational initiatives that help communities understand both the value of play and the potential of local resources. Furthermore, he highlighted that we can create our own environments with our own materials, and it will be cost-effective while reaching more children across Nigeria.

The Broader Impact

Perhaps most importantly, Mr Gabriel sees his work as part of addressing Nigeria’s tendency toward misplaced priorities. Drawing an analogy to building construction, he explains:

 “Every building stands on a foundation, but because the foundation isn’t readily seen, it’s taken for granted. We take things that need to come first, like play, for granted because we don’t understand them.”

His approach to sustainable playground design represents more than environmental consciousness; it’s about building stronger foundations for child development while proving that Nigerian communities have the resources and creativity to solve their own challenges.

As Nigeria continues to grapple with import dependency and environmental sustainability, Mr Gabriel’s work offers a compelling model for how local innovation, environmental stewardship, and child development can converge to create lasting positive change. The sustainability park stands not just as a place for children to play, but as proof that sustainable, accessible solutions can emerge from within Nigerian communities themselves.