Minister Takes “Greener Nigeria Campaign” To Ogun as He Plants 50th Tree in 2024
In an unflagging determination to meet his new year resolution to plant 100 trees in 2024 as his pesornal contribution to the “greener Nigeria campaign” of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration being championed by the Federal Ministry of Environment, the Honourable Minister of State for Environment, Dr. Iziaq Kunle Salako took time off the Eid Kabir celebration, on Monday June 17, 2024 to plant his 50th tree in Ayetoro, Ogun State.
The exercise according to the Minister was significant because it marked the halfway mark of his 100 trees in a year’s journey.
Salako dedicated the 50th tree to the memory of his late father, Alhaji Yunus Omotosho Salako. The tree was planted at the Permacultural Garden created by Asalamualekum Foundation (AAF) at Ajoda High School, Ayetoro.
AAF, a non governmental organisation was established in 2011 by the minister in memory of his father. He said the symbolic occasion was an effort aimed at greening the school with over a 100 trees.
Responding to questions on the potential for job creation that the tree planting programme holds. Salako said the intention of the Federal Government was to plant 2 million trees across at least 24 local government areas of the Federation and engaging at least 1200 youths per annum.
“At every local government we are going to be covering about 10 hectares of land as community forests. When we plant those trees, they are going to be populated by fruit trees and they are going to be owned by the communities.
“For a year, the Federal Government is going to support the nurturing of those trees, we will engage youths, we are going to be paying them some stipends to make sure they take care of the trees and at the end of the year, we will hand over the trees to the community to continue to maintain them”, Salako noted.
The Minster added that the intention of the government was to start the planting of the 2 million trees, a national programme which has been tagged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Green Heroes by July to take advantage of the rainy season.
Speaking on the choice of a secondary school for the Ayetoro tree planting, Dr. Salako said for the government to be able to get the buy-in of the grassroot in the tree planting campaign, it was important for the children to be involved. He described children of secondary school age who are a bit mature and can do the tree planting on their own as the best for the programme.
The Vice principal of Ajoda High school Ayetoro, Mr Claudius Akinyemi, thanked the Honourable Minister for considering the school for the scheme. He assured that the students would be encouraged to tow the path of tree planting once they returned from the Eid Kabir break.
Salako had planted trees at Birabi Memorial Gramnar School, a flagship secondary school in Ogoni land, Rivers State of the South South region in the Country as well as Junior secondary school, Maitama, in the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, North Central. Ayetoro’s Planting represents that of the Southwest. He intends to plant the remaining 50 trees in the North east, North west and South east of the Country.
