FG unveils one million tree-planting campaign at Nigerian Defence Academy

Dignitaries at the one million tree-planting launch at the NDA, Kaduna on Monday. Credit: Godwin Isenyo.

The Federal Government on Monday inaugurated a one-million-tree-planting campaign at the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, in a move aimed at tackling climate change, desertification, deforestation and biodiversity loss across the country. The initiative, a partnership involving the Africa Finance Corporation, the Nigerian Defence Academy and Fifth Chukker, was launched at the NDA Biodiversity Conservation Centre in Kaduna. Representing the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, the Kaduna State Commissioner for Environment, Abubakar Buba, described the project as a landmark environmental intervention with far-reaching ecological and socio-economic benefits. He said Kaduna State was facing mounting environmental challenges, including advancing desertification in the northern axis and persistent deforestation in the southern parts, which continue to threaten biodiversity, water resources and agricultural productivity. “Kaduna stands at a critical ecological crossroads. To our North, desertification continues its relentless march, while to our South, deforestation has steadily eroded forest cover that once moderated rainfall patterns and protected vital watersheds,” Buba said. According to him, the initiative aligns with the Federal Ministry of Environment’s commitment to sustainable environmental management and climate resilience. The commissioner commended the collaboration between the AFC and the NDA, noting that the academy’s conservation area provided the institutional framework and security required to ensure the success of the reforestation programme. He said the planned planting of one million trees would go beyond symbolism to deliver measurable environmental benefits. “The planting of one million trees represents a significant ecological intervention capable of sequestering substantial quantities of carbon dioxide while advancing Nigeria’s commitments under the Paris Climate Agreement,” he said. Buba added that the project’s emphasis on creating a natural and self-sustaining forest ecosystem, rather than a monoculture plantation, would strengthen biodiversity conservation, wildlife protection and ecosystem resilience. He assured the partners of continued government support, disclosing that the Kaduna State Government had previously supplied 10,000 tree seedlings to the NDA, all of which had been successfully planted and were thriving. Speaking at the event, the President and Chief Executive Officer of AFC, Ismail Zubairu, said the initiativ