The Nigeria Conservation Foundation (NCF) has said that tree planting and restoration of the country’s forests can help Nigeria tackle issues concerning climate change and flooding.
Director General of NCF, Dr Joseph Onoja who made this known during a tree planting exercise in Awka, Anambra State, said that the NCF through its Green Recovery Nigeria Project (GRNP), has planted 1,500 trees in Anambra State in a bid to reclaim part of the country’s dwindling forest cover.
Onoja said that the successful recovery of the country’s forest reserve will help tackle climate change as well as forestall future recurrence of flooding that is ravaging various parts of the country.
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“In NCF, we thought it wise to launch an ambitious project, which we christened the GRNP,” he said. “This is aimed at restoring Nigeria’s forest cover so that we will be able to regain our forest cover in the next 30 years. Our forest cover has dwindled since after independence.”
Speaking further, he said, “So, we launched this ambitious project and we have realised that we cannot do it alone which is why we continue to call on different stakeholders to help us achieve this”.
He explained that Stanbic IBTC is one of NCF’s partners that have come on board, adding that together, they have planted 1,500 trees.
“We planted 100 trees here in Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), and 1,400 trees were planted in Nnewi Ichi erosion sites,” he explained. “All these cuts across the issues of climate change, and you have seen the devastating effect of flood, which is part of the devastation of climate change”.
Story was adapted from Thisday.
