By Victor Uzoho
To mitigate the impact of deforestation and global warming, the Ondo State Government in collaboration with Fold for Liberal Age Charity Initiative (FOLLIAGE), is set to embark on a tree planting exercise across the 18 Local Government Areas in the state.
The Convener of the project, Femi Ayejusunle, during the launch of the tree planting campaign at St Peter Unity School in Akure, said over a million seedlings are ready to be planted across the state.
Ayejusunle said the project, themed: “Plant a tree, save a life” was brought to the doorsteps of the students to inculcate environmental education in the students and youths at the early stage of their lives.
Highlighting the benefits of tree planting, he said: “Trees give off oxygen that we need to breathe. Trees reduce the amount of storm water runoff, which reduces erosion and pollution in our waterways and may reduce the effects of flooding. Trees provide food, protection, and homes for many birds and mammals.
“So, like the theme, when you plant trees, you are directly or indirectly saving life because trees increase the amount of oxygen.
“Most of the people living in the rural areas don’t even know the importance of trees in their environment and that is why when they cut down trees, they don’t care to replace it with new seedlings.”
Our target is to plant and replace millions of trees this year because the environmental dangers facing Nigeria today are enormous. They include deforestation, floods, heat waves, landslides, erosion, drought, and desertification.
Also, Ayejusunle noted that his organisation was committed to increasing public awareness on the dangers of indiscriminate cutting down of trees and the importance of tree planting to the environment.
“We will ensure that we educate the people of the state on the importance of replacing trees when they cut down any; for every tree cut down, two new seedlings must be planted. We are collaborating with the state government to ensure that the seedlings are distributed to the rural areas for free,” he added.
Speaking, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Environment, Oyeniyi Oseni, said the state in 2021, raised about 500,000 seedlings and planted about 150 hectares.
He said: “Our target is to plant and replace millions of trees this year because the environmental dangers facing Nigeria today are enormous. They include deforestation, floods, heat waves, landslides, erosion, drought, and desertification.
“All these disasters are killing and affecting people and destroying homes, crops, schools, hospitals, public utilities, roads and critical infrastructure worth billions of naira.
“We will encourage everyone to plant two or three trees each to green Nigeria and foster mutual love, unity and peaceful coexistence.”
Oseni appealed to Nigerians to embrace mass reforestation to protect the environment by planting economic trees with food, fruit and medicinal value in homes, neighbourhoods, schools, religious premises, farms, roadsides, hospitals, offices, riversides, parks, degraded forests and pasture fields.
