In a bid to mitigate the impact of climate change such as flooding and desertification across the country, the Green Sahara Farms in collaboration with the Unity Schools Old Students Association (USOSA) and Sterling One Foundation Agroforestry for Climate Action Project (SACAP) has engaged in the planting of 10,000 trees across 24 unity colleges.
Speaking at the inauguration of the tree planting at the Federal Government Girls College, Bwari, on Friday, the President General of USOSA, Mr Mike Magaji, said that there was a need to inculcate the culture of environmental participation through young children.
According to Magaji, doing this would make the children grow up to learn and appreciate the values of keeping the environment safe and clean, thereby protecting the country and environment.
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In his words, “One of the ways of doing it is tree planting. We are in the first phase, we are going to do 10,000 trees in 24 unity schools across the country.
He explained that the project is intended to introduce an environmentally friendly programme and in this case tree planting to unity schools across Nigeria.
“We are working with Sterling One Foundation and Green Sahara Farms to plant trees to protect these schools and the children while also guaranteeing the future of our environment” he said.
Speaking further, he said, “You are aware of the issues of climate change, desertification on the one side in the north and flooding on the other side in the south”. “So this is very significant and it is important that we recognise the importance of the environment and also try to preserve it,”
On his part, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Green Sahara Farms, Mr Suleiman Dikwa, said that the best way to protect the environment was through the students.
Dikwa called on the Federal Ministry of Education to inculcate the project into schools’ curricula to arouse the consciousness of students toward a safer environment.
He said that the importance of tree planting could not be overemphasised as it had a way of contributing to the nutritional growth of the people.
Story was adapted from NAN.
