By Omotayo Edubi
A Kaduna-based horticulturist, Al-Amin Shehu says he planted no fewer than 100,000 tree species, to fight climate change and other ecological challenges in the state.
Shehu, a Nigerian Defence Academy graduate with specialty in Agriculture, stated this while speaking to newsmen on Wednesday in Kaduna.
He said that his passion to plant and grow trees was borne out of the desire to address myriad of environmental challenges plaguing human society.
”I support governnment agencies, civil society groups and other stakeholders to campaign against environmental degradation.
”The issue of climate change, flooding, desertification, deforestation and other environmental challenges are of huge concern to me.
”I abandoned white collar job and embraced tree planting as well as selling of economic trees as my own way of supporting the society,” he said.
NAN reports that the horticulturist said that many residents of Kaduna metropolis depend on him for trees and plants to beautify and protect their environment.
”Many people buy tree seedlings from me to plant in their homes, streets and communities to save human against global warming and other ecological challenges.
”This has been my preoccupation since I left school in 2012. It has kept me self-reliant, I have been using it to put food on my table,” he said.
Shehu urged young graduates to be creative and innovative to enable them to become self-reliant and contribute to social and economic development of the country.
He also urged governments at all levels to provide the enabling environment for the citizenry to showcase their talents and creative abilities.
In a related development, Nuradden Bello, Director, African Climate Reporters, urged Nigerians to plant more trees to control desertification and global warming.
Bello, a Science-Climatologists, decried spate of forest deflation triggering desert encroachment in parts of the north due to irrational human activities.
”The benefits of tree planting is enormous. Let us work collectively to save our environment,” he said.