South-South states embark on massive afforestation to curb biodiversity loss

States in the South-South have embarked on various tree planting programmes aimed at afforestation of the geo-political zone in order to combat desertification and global warming.

The Edo State Government says it plans to plant 10 million trees within the next 10 years under its afforestation programme.

The Permanent Secretary in the state Ministry of Environment and Sustainability, Mr Lucky Wasa, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin.

Wasa said that the exercise which was aimed at restoring the state’s forest reserves, would see to the planting of a million trees every year.

Similarly, the Delta Government has a plan to plant one million trees over a period of five years in an effort to revamp its degraded forest reserves.

Mr. Chukwuma Nwose, Director, Conservation Department, Ministry of Environment told NAN in Asaba that the ministry had sent a memo to the state government with a projection to plant one million trees over a period of five years.

Nwose said though the state government had yet to key into the Federal Government’s afforestation programme but, it had over the past four years, engaged in tree planting.

“We are aware of the Federal Government’s afforestation programme. Although we have yet to key into the plan, on our own, we have been planting trees.

“The Delta government has since 2017 engaged in a tree planting exercise under the Fuelwood Management Programme (FMP) in Nigeria.

 “So far, we have planted approximately 100,000 trees of different species, mainly Tectona grandis (Teak) and Gmeli,” he said.

The Akwa Ibom Government has also planted no fewer than 16,000 tree seedlings to tackle deforestation in the state, according to Mr Charles Udoh, the Commissioner for Environment and Solid Minerals.

“The state government through the ministry of environment and solid minerals has planted 16, 000 seedlings of different species of trees in forestry reserves across the state.

“We have never contributed any revenue from forestry but I can tell you clearly that we will be earning nothing less than N36 million from forestry proceeds by the end of year,” Udoh said.

In Cross River state, the annual tree planting policy tagged “Green Carnival” which is observed on July 30 and aimed at tackling global warming, deforestation and climate change, has continued.

The Commissioner for Environment, Mr Mfon Bassey, told NAN in Calabar that the state government was committed to the preservation of the environment.

Bassey said the setting aside of a day for tree planting “underscores our readiness and commitment to forest conservation and management”.

 “This year, arrangements are on ground for the green carnival. The aim is to replace the old trees that have been cut off, beautify the environment and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.

“In Calabar metropolis, we have cut down many old trees that were falling off whenever there was windstorm. We did that to avert accident,” Bassey said.

Meanwhile, the Head of Department, Forestry and Wildlife Management, University of Port Harcourt, Dr Adekunle Oladele, says indiscriminate logging of trees is one of the causes of global warming.

Oladele urged all levels of government, corporate bodies and individuals to embrace tree planting as a culture to improve the environment.

 “Trees play greater roles aside being an industrial necessity. Trees serve the purpose of environmental protection as well as soil and water conservation.

“Generally, trees mitigate global warming and enhances oxygen emission which cannot be quantified in monetary terms as humans breathe in oxygen to stay alive,” Oladele said.

Source: NAN