The Federal Government has unveiled a proposal to engage 10,000 youths and retirees in planting six million trees across Nigeria to help minimize the negative consequences of climate change.
In an interview with PUNCH, Minister of State for Environment Dr Iziaq Salako stated that the program aims to create jobs for the unemployed and provide economic benefits to retirees while also addressing environmental degradation, particularly in areas affected by deforestation and desertification.
The effort, which will include a variety of tree species appropriate for Nigeria’s biological zones, also seeks to absorb greenhouse gasses, enhance air quality, and reduce land degradation, flooding, and erosion.
According to Salako, “Every tree counts in the fight against climate change. This year alone, the mandate of the ministry given by Mr President is to ensure that we plant at least six million trees for 2024. And we have designed our programmes to ensure that we achieve this.
“The agencies are going to plant; we have the Forest Research Institute of Nigeria in Ibadan, the Great Greenwald, the ministries, and then we have a special intervention project by Mr President that is also going to plant trees to achieve large-scale tree planting.
