Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has announced that the state is partnering with an international advocacy organisation, Global Citizen to tackle the impact of climate change.
The partnership is part of the recent Global Citizen Live campaign to address and prioritize the climate challenges now facing the region.
Recently, deforestation, localised temperature rise, erosion, mining, wildfire, delayed rains, heat spikes and intense weather patterns have spiked Ain Ekiti, with the risk of the state now being on the frontline of the climate crisis.
According to reports, climate change has altered rainfall patterns and made planting and harvesting seasons unpredictable, forcing farmers to rely on staple crops such as yams or fruits.
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Announcing the partnership on Monday, Fayemi said that the state will plant over 500,000 trees by December 2022 and that crucially, two-thirds of these will be rare and indigenous trees natural to the environment in Nigeria and which have been lost over the last 50 years, some almost to extinction.
He also said that the state will plant at least 5 indigenous and/or rare trees in every public primary and secondary school in Ekiti state by December 2022-to focus young minds on Ekiti’s natural heritage, foster education and awareness of deforestation and the effects of environmental degradation, and contribute to education in the natural sciences.
To Achieve this, the governor said that the Ekiti Forestry Commission will conduct a comprehensive biodiversity study by December 2022 that will determine wildlife and conservation hotspots, survey animals, trees, and other biodiversity sources, and enumerate local natural heritage with a specific focus on rare and endangered species. This will allow the key sites to be scheduled as community protected assets.
“The State of Ekiti will complete a satellite imaging assessment of forest coverage and growth across Ekiti State by February 2023,”he said, “This will allow us to plan how we, and private sector investors, can best protect the existing forest and develop new afforestation and agroforestry opportunities”.
He further stated that the Ekiti State government will produce a roadmap for forest conservation by February 2023, including a comprehensive management plan for all forest reserves in Ekiti, so that we have a sustainable approach planned well into the future.
Fayemi said, “Climate change can have such a life-altering effect on the socio-economic wellbeing of our people. It is therefore important for us to rise to the occasion and create an abode for all where people and nature can thrive jointly. There is undeniable proof that the wellbeing of our population is linked to better climate outcomes. “
Story was adapted from Bellanaija.
