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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Environment & Climate

Nigeria launches one million tree-planting campaign to combat climate change

From The Punch · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • The Nigerian Federal Government launched a one-million-tree-planting campaign at the Nigerian Defence Academy in Kaduna to combat climate change and deforestation.
  • The initiative is a partnership between the Africa Finance Corporation, the NDA, and Fifth Chukker, aiming for ecological and socio-economic benefits.
  • Kaduna State officials highlighted the state's environmental challenges and the project's role in carbon sequestration and biodiversity conservation, aligning with the Paris Agreement.

Nigeria's Federal Government has launched an ambitious one-million-tree-planting campaign at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) in Kaduna. The initiative aims to address critical environmental issues including climate change, desertification, deforestation, and biodiversity loss across the nation.

Kaduna stands at a critical ecological crossroads. To our North, desertification continues its relentless march, while to our South, deforestation has steadily eroded forest cover that once moderated rainfall patterns and protected vital watersheds.

— Abubakar BubaKaduna State Commissioner for Environment, describing the state's environmental challenges during the tree-planting launch.

The project is a collaborative effort involving the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), the NDA, and Fifth Chukker. Launched at the NDA Biodiversity Conservation Centre, it is seen as a significant environmental intervention with substantial ecological and socio-economic advantages. Abubakar Buba, Kaduna State Commissioner for Environment, emphasized the state's vulnerability to desertification in the north and deforestation in the south, which threaten water resources and agriculture.

Buba stated that the campaign aligns with the Federal Ministry of Environment's goals for sustainable management and climate resilience. He praised the partnership between AFC and NDA, noting the academy's conservation area provides a suitable framework and security for the reforestation program. The planting of one million trees is expected to sequester significant amounts of carbon dioxide, supporting Nigeria's commitments under the Paris Climate Agreement. The project's focus on creating a natural, self-sustaining forest ecosystem will also bolster biodiversity and ecosystem resilience.

The planting of one million trees represents a significant ecological intervention capable of sequestering substantial quantities of carbon dioxide while advancing Nigeria’s commitments under the Paris Climate Agreement.

— Abubakar BubaKaduna State Commissioner for Environment, on the environmental benefits of the tree-planting initiative.

Ismail Zubairu, President and CEO of AFC, highlighted the initiative as a demonstration of the organization's commitment to environmental sustainability. He described the event not just as planting trees, but as planting a promise for long-term development and a healthier environment.

We have not gathered merely to plant trees. We have gathered to plant a promise, a promise

— Ismail ZubairuPresident and Chief Executive Officer of AFC, speaking at the launch event.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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