AFC, NDA Launch One Million Tree Planting Campaign in Kaduna
By Mohammad Tijjani
The Federal Government on Monday inaugurated a one million tree planting campaign at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna, as part of efforts to combat climate change, desertification and biodiversity loss.
The initiative, a collaboration between the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), the NDA and Fifth Chukker, was launched at the NDA Biodiversity Conservation Centre.
Representing the Minister of Environment, Mallam Balarabe Abbas Lawal, the Kaduna State Commissioner for Environment, Abubakar Buba, described the project as a landmark environmental intervention with long-term ecological benefits.
Buba said Kaduna was facing increasing environmental challenges, including advancing desertification in the northern parts of the state and deforestation in the south, which had continued to threaten biodiversity, water resources and agricultural productivity.
According to him, the project aligns with the ministry’s commitment to sustainable environmental management and climate resilience.
“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,” he said.
The commissioner commended the partnership between AFC and the NDA, noting that the academy’s designated conservation area offered the security and institutional management required for successful reforestation efforts.
He said the planned planting of one million trees was not merely symbolic but a major ecological intervention capable of sequestering significant quantities of carbon dioxide while supporting Nigeria’s climate commitments under the Paris Agreement.
Buba added that the project’s focus on developing a natural and self-sustaining forest ecosystem, rather than a monoculture plantation, would enhance biodiversity conservation, wildlife protection and ecosystem resilience.
He assured the partners of the continued support of the Ministry of Environment, noting that the Kaduna State Government had earlier supplied 10,000 seedlings to the NDA, which had been successfully planted and were thriving.
Earlier, the President and Chief Executive Officer of AFC, Mr. Ismail Zubairu, said the project represented a commitment to environmental sustainability and intergenerational responsibility.
“We have not gathered merely to plant trees. We have gathered to plant a promise — a promise to this land, to the communities around it, and to future generations,” he said.
Zubairu noted that environmental degradation, deforestation and biodiversity loss remained major threats to sustainable development across Nigeria, particularly in the northern region.
He stressed that environmental stewardship was integral to AFC’s development mandate, adding that economic growth and environmental conservation must progress together.
The AFC chief executive described the NDA as an ideal partner, citing its vision to establish the country’s largest man-made conservation centre and a leading hub for biodiversity and sustainability research.
He disclosed that AFC had adopted a model under which the corporation would plant two additional trees for every tree sponsored by its staff members.
According to him, the project extends beyond tree planting to include conservation research, environmental education, green jobs, skills development and the establishment of a nursery and future seed bank for threatened plant species.
In his welcome address, the Commandant of the NDA, Major-General Oluyemi Olatoye, described environmental degradation as a national security concern requiring coordinated action.
“Environmental security is national security. A nation cannot be secure if its land is barren, its water is scarce and its air is compromised,” he said.
Olatoye said the NDA established the Biodiversity Conservation Centre two years ago to conserve indigenous flora and fauna, restore ecological balance and support environmental research and training.
He noted that the newly planted trees would contribute to erosion control, carbon capture and environmental education for future military leaders.
The commandant commended AFC for demonstrating that financial institutions could contribute meaningfully to environmental sustainability and national development.
He urged officers, staff and cadets of the academy to embrace environmental stewardship as part of their responsibility to safeguard the nation’s future.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that AFC, Fifth Chukker and the NDA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalise their partnership on the project.
NAN further reports that the initiative aims to restore degraded ecosystems, enhance biodiversity conservation, support climate action and strengthen environmental research and education in Nigeria.
(NAN)
