The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) on Tuesday, distributed a variety of tree seedlings to some secondary schools in Kano State, to enhance environmental conservation and students’ nutrition.
The foundation’s Director General, Alhaji Mukhtar Aminu-Kano, handed over the seedlings to the Commissioner, Ministry of Education, Alhaji Muhammad Sanusi-Kiru, at Government Girls’ College, Dala.
Aminu-Kano said that the project was under the School Orchard Project Nigeria.
“Nigeria has problems of desertification, soil erosion and deforestation due to felling of trees for firewood, charcoal and timber.
“In Nigeria, we lose 400,000 hectares of forests every year, so, starting the project in schools, means we are catching them young,” he said.
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According to the NCF Director – General, five secondary schools were selected to benefit from the gesture.
Aminu-Kano said the schools included Government Girls’ College, Dala and Government Girls’ College, Kiru.
Others are Government Girls’ Arabic College, Goron-Dutse, Sani Bello Science College, and Government Tahfizil Qur’an, Kiru.
The Director – General said that the seedlings distributed were 130 each of guava, orange and mango, respectively, to each of the schools.
He said that equipment distributed for maintenance of the seedlings comprised water tanks, watering cans, hand gloves, diggers, among others.
Aminu-Kano urged the benefitting schools to plant and nurture the seedlings up to maturity stage to achieve the set objectives.
In his remarks, the state Commissioner for Education, represented by the Director, Education Support Services, Malam Ibrahim Yakasai, thanked the foundation for the project.
Yakasai called on the benefitting schools particularly students to ensure maintenance of the tree seedlings.
He assured that the ministry would provide all the necessary support for the project.
The Director of the school, Hajiya Ramatu Mukhtar, commended the foundation for including her school among the beneficiaries. (NAN)
