The Centre for Journalism, Innovation and Development (CJID) has launched a tree planting campaign in two Senior Secondary schools in Gwagwalada Area Council in Abuja to combat the effect of climate change.
Mr. Nicholas Adeniyi, the Coordinator of the CJID Climate Change Project, on Friday, March 21, 2025, in Abuja said that the tree planting exercise was also to commemorate the International Day of Forests.
Adeniyi said that the project was being implemented in partnership with the Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation, Association of Flower Nurseries and Landscaping Practitioners, Abuja, and the Federal Ministry of Environment.
The International Day of Forests is celebrated annually on March 21.
It is an initiative to highlight the importance of the ecosystems in the fight against climate change and to warn on the dangers of its degradation.
The 2025 celebration is themed, “Forests and Food” and it highlights the vital role of forests.
“Today is International Day of Forests.
“It is a day set aside to raise awareness of the importance and significance of forests and how forests serve as a home to 90 per cent of the terrestrial organisms out there.
“We have brought this advocacy to Government Day Secondary School Gwagwalada and School of the Gifted to teach the students the importance of tree planting and the need for trees in our natural environment.
“While we understand that the world is grappling with climate change which has become an existential threat to everyone, we have to play our role of planting trees and not falling trees,” he said.
Adeniyi decried the state of environmental pollution, degradation and flooding destroying farmlands, sources of livelihoods and homes leading to deaths across the country.
He called for the swift intervention of governments at all levels in discouraging realtors, contractors and housing agents from falling trees for the purpose of construction but to safeguard the ecosystems for human existence and food sustenance.
He said that CJID had planted over 100 trees across schools and communities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) within five years of its climate change project in tendem with its climate change mandate.
Adeniyi said that the group would continue to amplify advocacy on aforestation for the safety of Nigerians and the global community.
Mrs. Dorcas Nicanor, a representative of the Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation, said that the partnership with CJID was to create afforestation awareness in secondary schools.
Nicanor said that it was in line with its mandates on food security and climate change.
She appraised the schools Eco-clubs on climate change sensitisation amongst students.
Mr. Bello Audu, the Principal of School for the Gifted, commended the groups for the initiative to contribute to the ecosystems’ preservation and reduction of the impact of climate change.
“As you can see in our school environment we have a lot of economic trees and umbrella trees that help us to causion the effect of climate change.
“So this is a welcome idea and we support this initiative, and we will ensure that the trees we are going to plant today survives,” he said.
He also discouraged deforestation for the purpose of real-estate and charcoal production.
Mr. Bello Ajekunle, the Principal of Government Day Secondary School Gwagwalada, also lauded the organisers of the tree planting exercise.
Ajekunle said that the initiative to plant trees in secondary schools in Gwagwalada was timely, especially with the heatwave being experienced and in anticipation of rainy season.
He said that the school management would ensure that the trees were preserved.
“We are ready to do whatever we can do to make sure that the aims and objectives of this tree planting is achieved, which is for our own good and benefits,” he said.
The tree planting exercise was carried out by some students belonging to the Eco-clubs of both schools under the supervision of forestry and tree planting experts of the organisers of the exercise.
The Eco-club is an extra-curricular group in schools where students are taught the concept of climate change and ways to mitigate it under the supervision of climate change experts and stakeholders.
By Diana Omueza