‘Nigeria can Tackle Climate Change, Flooding by Planting Trees’

David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

The Nigeria Conservation Foundation (NCF) has said that issues concerning climate change could be tackled through the restoration of the country’s forest reserves.

The foundation said that tackling climate change would also take care of the flooding in the country.

The Director General of NCF, Dr. Joseph Onoja, who spoke to journalists during a tree planting exercise in Awka, Anambra State, said that the foundation 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: “The successful recovery of the country’s forest reserve will help tackle climate change, and forestall things like the recent flooding.

“In NCF, we thought it wise to launch an ambitious project, which we christened the GRNP.

“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.”  

“So, we launched this ambitious project and we have realised that we cannot do it alone that is why we continue to call on different stakeholders to help us achieve this.

“Stanbic IBTC is one of our partners that have come on board and together we 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.

“All these cut across the issues of climate change, and you have seen the devastating effect of flood, which is part of the devastation of climate change.

“You know that NEWMAP has wound up, but they have also been able to work on many erosion sites. So, apart from brown infrastructure which NEWMAP did, we are taking green infrastructure there, to plant trees that can hold the soil, and also sustain the work that NEWMAP did on those sites.

We will continue to partner with Anambra State Government to ensure that all those sites are not left to deteriorate. We will plant trees there to hold the soil and sustain the work done.”

He said that the trees planted by the foundation included economic trees that would serve as income to the people besides holding the soil and providing forest cover.

The species of trees included local pear, local apple, avocado pear, sour sop, bread fruit, cashew, local mango and many others.