Tackling climate change through planting, maintenance, and protection of trees, as well as pursuit of other sustainable environmental initiatives can pull lots of Nigerians out of poverty in addition to fostering steady growth of the nation’s economy.
The Head of Communications, Nigerian Conservation Foundation, NCF, Mr Oladapo Soneye, submitted this in a statement in Lagos, on progress recorded in the ongoing Green Recovery Nigeria (GRN) Programme.
Mr. Soneye stated that the GRN which is a flagship project of NCF helped to boost the economic value of at least 1000 Nigerians in 2023 alone with the planting of 276, 860 trees across the 6 geopolitical zones of the country.
Soneye said that the overall goal of the GRN Programme was to contribute and facilitate the reforestation of 25 percent of Nigeria’s total landmass.
According to him, GRN is a 30-year Programme that will run from 2017 to 2047, while simultaneously promoting actions to curb further deforestation and forest degradation.
He highlighted other components of the programme including fuel-efficient cook stove training, provision of clean water, employment as eco-guards, tree nursery raising and enterprise development around non-timber forest products.
Soneye noted that the livelihood support component of the GRN Programme was to reduce total dependence of communities on the forest; to reduce deforestation caused by fuel-wood extraction, the encourage conservation of wildlife, and to prevent hideouts of criminals in the forest reserves.
He listed some of the beneficiary communities in the livelihood component to include Iko Esai and Becheve in Cross River; Ajingi in Kano; Guzape in Abuja; Awka- Etiti in Anambra, among others.
“The tree planting exercise happened across the six geo-political zones of the nation.
“Economic trees planted include avocado, mango, cashew, orange; and timber trees like Melina and teak etc.
“The trees were planted in forest reserves, National Parks, community forests, secondary schools, and tertiary institutions among others,” Soneye said.
The NCF Head of Communications said that the livelihood support and tree planting projects were made possible through the support of the German Government through the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union, Germany (NABU), and Stanbic IBTC Holdings.
Soneye mentioned others who supported the programme to include Access Corporation, AFR100, Pernod Ricard Nigeria, International Labour Organisation (ILO), First Bank of Nigeria Ltd, British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation, ATC Nigeria Wireless Infrastructure Ltd, and many others.
The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) is the foremost environmental NGO dedicated to nature conservation and biodiversity resource management for over 40 years.
It has remained resolute in ensuring that people live and prosper in harmony with nature.
