Former Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr Oby Ezekwesili, has called on Nigerians, especially the younger generation, to preserve nature by planting trees.
Ezekwesili said this a tree-planting programme organised by Climate Action Africa (CAA) in partnership with the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), on Thursday, in Lagos.
“When people hear about climate change, they believe it is a distant word which does not have any effect on Nigerians.
“When people hear the word ‘climate change’, they think it is a distant word that doesn’t affect us at all but it is already affecting us.
“It is affecting our farmers, as our agriculture production and productivity are low. It is affecting us in terms of wildlife and some of the insecurity that you see because people are dislocated in a way that disrupts their lives.
“The challenges of climate change are here with us, the flooding and desertification, these are all the things that are happening.
“Now, God has given us the power to do things differently and to counteract some of these things that are affecting us and robbing us of our resilience, productivity and living standard,” she said.
She commended the CAA and the NCF for the initiative aimed at tackling climate change challenges.
“They have a programme to get one billion trees planted across the country. The CAA has an agenda to plant one billion trees in 20 years.
“It is the best demonstration of Africa setting the agenda and not allowing just outsiders to talk about it.
“Africa must do what it must do in order to ensure the resilience of its own continent,” she said.
She, however, called on the media to educate the populace on the need to care about nature.
“Chopping off trees because you want to build a house is a wrong approach.
“Don’t think of your own immediate satisfaction when you are making a decision, you have to think of the long-lasting impact that decision you are making in the matter of nature is preservation.
“You have to nurture nature. it’s been given to us, spread the news, plant and preserve a tree,” she said.
She said that it was of great significance that two African organisations, the CAA through its forum is partnering with NCF to bring attention to the importance of the ecosystem.
“This is a great idea, ensuring that trees, wildlife and everything that has to do with climate resilience is brought to the public attention,” she said.
The Executive Director, CAA, Miss Oluchi Mbah, during her remarks, said the partnership with NCF was important to ensure where and what trees to plant.
“We have always wanted to contribute to conservation. It is not just planting trees but planting the right tree which is why we partnered with NCF,” Mbah said.
The Director-General, NCF, Dr Joseph Onoja, commended the CAA for the partnership, noting that he looked forward to a long-lasting partnership with the organisation.
Onoja represented by Mr Uchenna Achunine, Director of Business Development & Communications, said the NCF had been providing leadership to environmental conservation and sustainable development.
“We have worked with various government to help preserve our environment.
“We are planting some trees here while we will also plant like 100 trees in some schools soon.
“Since we started the project of tree planting in schools, we go to schools to teach them how to plant and take care of trees. We also teach them about recycling and others,” he said.
The Project Manager, LCC, Mr Stephen Aina, while speaking with journalists, said the planting of trees was to exemplify the core message of conservation as entrenched in the story of creation.
“We have brought in trees of different species to plant here within LCC and that will be scaled up else where within Lagos metropolis, specifically Epe.
“Trees are essential to our living as humans and if the trees and the plants are no more that means automatically it means man himself will be no more because plants are the foundation for our existence,” he said. (NAN)
