Ogun State government has revealed plans to begin tree planting within the urban areas apart from its forest reserves, towards mitigating the effects of climate change as well as beautifying the scenery of areas through its Urban Forestry Programme (UFP).
Commissioner for Forestry, Chief Kolawole Lawal, made this known at the programme flag off after the planting exercise at the Federal University of Agriculture, International School, Abeokuta.
Lawal said the programme was aimed at transforming the landscape of the state, especially at the urban centres, affirming that the ministry was partnering Green Mobilisation Initiative (GMI), an NGO, to plant trees in secondary schools across the state just as the ministry was set to embark on tree planting in public places within the urban centres.
“Not only in secondary schools; we want to take tree planting to hospitals, houses and around the towns. We just have to see that people embrace tree planting,” he said.
The Coordinator, GMI, Mr. Gabriel Aborell, said the initiative, apart from the aesthetic purpose, would also educate young ones, especially secondary school students, on the importance of tree planting while they would also be trained on the technical knowhow of tree planting.