Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun on Sunday announced plans to plant one million trees and create 50 hectares of green recreational parks in partnership with the private sector before the end of this year’s planting season, as part of efforts to promote sustainable development and combat climate change.
Abiodun, represented by the Commissioner for Forestry, Taiwo Oludotun, disclosed this at the flag-off of the Ogun State Tree Planting Day, themed “Grow Trees, Sustain Life.”
The event was organised by the Ministry of Environment, in collaboration with the ministries of Forestry, Physical Planning and Urban Development, Housing, and Community Development.
The governor said the trees would not only provide fruit and medicinal resources but also help reduce urban temperature, mitigate flooding, and slow ozone layer depletion.
“Today we are not just planting trees, we are planting hope and the future of our state, as trees give us oxygen, clean air, and shield the climate,” he said.
Abiodun said the theme aligned with his administration’s ISEYA agenda, particularly the “A” representing Agriculture and Social Development.
“To complement the government’s effort at achieving the planting of one million trees before the end of the planting season, the state government will also embark on the ‘One Citizen, One Tree’ campaign across all the twenty local government areas of the state.
We are also collaborating with corporate organisations for the creation of fifty hectares of green parks across the state,” he added.
The Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, described the tree planting day as “not just ceremonial but strategic, scientific, and survival-driven” to address flooding and other climate threats.
He revealed plans to partner with industries on tree planting, integrate it into school curricula, and introduce annual awards for industries, schools, and institutions with effective tree planting and maintenance programmes.
Oresanya said as Nigeria’s most industrialised state, Ogun was committed to reducing its carbon footprint and preventing natural disasters, particularly in urban areas.
The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Tunji Odunlami, assured that his ministry would “continue to give the much-needed support to ensure trees are protected in the urban renewal programmes of the state.”
Head of Service, Mr Kehinde Onasanya, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Forestry, Dr Adekunle Oyesanwen, urged residents to become agents of change by planting trees massively and stopping indiscriminate felling.
Welcoming guests, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Dr Sam Oyeleye, said tree planting had become a “life-saving, purpose-driven necessity” to combat climate change and improve residents’ quality of life.
Goodwill messages came from Lafarge Africa Plc, Nigeria Conservation Foundation, Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria, Nigeria Institute of Landscape Horticulturists, and the National Youth Service Corps.
The ceremony ended with tree planting led by the Commissioner for Forestry, with hundreds of seedlings distributed to local governments, private estates, voluntary organisations, and community associations for further planting.
