The Africa Centre seeks stakeholder collaboration to boost tree planting

The Africa Centre for Leadership and Strategic Development identified ignorance as a major cause of indiscriminate tree felling, particularly in rural areas, and stressed the need for stricter regulations to address this problem. Photo: Philip Ichaba/Radio Nigeria

The Africa Centre for Leadership and Strategic Development is seeking increased collaboration among stakeholders to promote tree planting nationwide as a key strategy for addressing climate change and other environmental challenges.

Marshal Ukpeh, Chairman of the Centre’s Group C Community Development Service, made this appeal during the inauguration of a tree-planting initiative in the Federal Capital Territory.

According to Mrs Ukpeh, trees are vital for maintaining a healthy environment and human well-being, underscoring the need for the government to work with stakeholders to combat deforestation.

She explained that deforestation, largely driven by urbanisation, has led to higher temperatures, altered rainfall patterns, and increased flooding across the country.

Mrs Ukpeh stressed that the project aims to plant various economically valuable trees in a school and that everyone has a role to play in combating deforestation nationwide.

“We conducted soil studies to determine which plants would thrive in this environment. We planted ten trees, including cashew, orange, and mango trees. We also established an environmental club to ensure the project’s sustainability. This is our contribution to combating climate change. It would be beneficial if the government partnered with stakeholders to support similar projects, as environmental sustainability is a shared responsibility.”

The group chairman affirmed their commitment to ongoing monitoring to ensure the project’s long-term success.

Dr Chika Onouha, another member of the group, explained that educating children about the importance of tree planting will inspire future generations to protect the planet.

Chinonso Obasi, an agriculturalist, expressed optimism that greater awareness of tree planting would significantly improve soil health and biodiversity.

Nigeria loses an estimated 350,000 to 400,000 hectares of forest annually, one of the highest rates of deforestation in the world. This alarming trend has led to severe soil degradation, desert encroachment in the north, loss of biodiversity, and reduced agricultural productivity.

Communities in states like Borno, Yobe, and Katsina face the harsh realities of shrinking arable land and increasing food insecurity. Meanwhile, urban areas suffer from rising temperatures, flooding, and poor air quality due to inadequate tree cover and poor planning.

To address these challenges, some states, like Borno, have flagged off a tree-planting campaign to curb desertification and other environmental problems. The initiative is to plant over a million trees.

Meanwhile, the National Agency of the Great Green Wall has also planted over ten million trees in 11 frontline states to safeguard them from desertification and encroachment.

Editing by Oluwaseyi Ajibade