By BBecky Adi
Inspired by goals 13 and 15 of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals,
which is about Climate change and life on land respectively, a Nigerian based Non-profit
organization recently launched an ambitious campaign to plant 270 million trees across a
million African schools.
Their plan like many reputable organizations is to create a new world order that protects,
restores and promotes “Life on Land” as established by the SDG goals.
The Sustainable Development Goal 13 aims to “take urgent action to combat climate
change and its impacts” while Goal 15 aims to “protect, restore and promote sustainable
use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and
halt and reverse land degradation as well as halt biodiversity loss”.
The official launch of the campaign tagged Givtree2schools kicked off in Government Girls college, Dala kano state, and was witnessed by over 500 hundred guests and dignitaries including representatives from the kano State Government, Federal Ministry of Environment, Federal Ministry of Education, Ministry of Communications and digital economy, Federal Ministry of Agriculture a representative of the Senior Special Assistant to the president on SDGs, NOA, as well as the Group Managing Director of Dantata Organization limited (Alhaji Tajuddin Aminu Dantata)
According to Givfree Africa’s founder and president Ibrahim Garba Wala “there’s no
better place to house 270 million trees than in schools where it will take the form of
orchards and gardens”.
He stated that with the already existing structure in schools it is easy to find ready and willing volunteers in students and teachers who will take ownership of the orchards and nurture the trees to maturity.
The planned structure will deploy a hundred children and three teachers as Givtree club masters in the Givtree school clubs in each school.
Wala says, the project is not just sustainable but transgenerational.
He referred to a recent media report where Ethiopia, led by her prime minister Abbiy
Ahmed, planted more than 353 million trees in 12 hours under a project tagged “Green
Legacy,” which many believe is a world record in tree planting.
Ibrahim says there’s a lot Africa can learn from the ‘Green Legacy’.
He used the opportunity to charge everyone to start from where they are and plant
trees or simply join Givfree Africa on its journey to 270 million economic trees in schools.
He said that there’s room for collaborations with like minds.
Having seen what has been achieved in Ethiopia, he says he’s even more
motivated, to do more and to do it now.
With at least ten African countries on board the Givtree2schools project, he is
confident that in no distant future givtree2schools will help create a
sustainable environment and provide nourishment for school children for all.
“Our major goal, is to make IMPACT and not a STATEMENT” he said.
Governor of kano state represented by the honorable commissioner of environment,
Dr, Kabiru Getso Ibrahim, expressed the governors delight in the decision of
the initiators of the givtree2schools project to choose to flag of the pan African project
in kano. He went ahead to say that the state governor was more than willing to
continue on the path of cordiality already created during days leading to the event.
More importantly the governor pledged his commitment to build more green areas for
kano and continue to build on the mutually beneficial relationship sparked by the
desire to create a greener environment.
The Honorable Minister of Environment who was represented by Alhaji Abubakar
Baru said, the ministry of environment is constantly looking for organizations such
as Givfree Africa to assist government achieve its goal of reversing the effect of
climate change. He said the ministry through its afforestation committee is also
planting 25 million trees across Nigeria. He pledged the ministry’s willingness to
collaborate with Givfree Africa.
Meanwhile Honorable Minister of Agriculture Alhaji Sabo Nanono represented by
Alhaji Yamari on his part applauded the NGO for taking up such initiative. he
said tree planting has not been given the adequate attention it deserves
and as such, the ministry is ready to work with all stakeholders to remedy this.
The minister therefore made a commitment to support Givfree Africa
Through its “Agro-forestry” initiative. He also promised to provide irrigation tools to all
schools under the givtree2school project.
while, the Honorable Minister of State for Education Hon. Chukwuemeka
Nwajuiba says the essence of planting trees and the lessons therein for
children is one that school administrators across the country must find a way to
inculcate into the students. He therefore intimated the gathering that the ministry is
considering making it mandatory for all new entrants into public schools to come to
school with a tree seedling upon resumption.
The director general of National Orientation Agency, represented by the agency’s
director in Kano state, Dr Lawal Haruna in his Response says NOA will use all its
available resources to Sensitize Nigerians on the need to key into the
givtree2schools project.
The high point of the ceremony, was the tree planting exercise where dignitaries alongside Givtree school club members planted at least one tree seedling each at the designated orchards.
An estimated 270 trees were planted all together.
The event was initiated by Givfree Africa in collaboration with Dala old girls alumni association DOGAA.
