A forest conservation organisation operating under the aegis of Nigeria Conservation Foundation, NCF, has restated its avowed committment to established a 25% forest cover to mitigate the effect of climate change in Nigeria.
The foundation made this known on Monday in Calabar during the flagging off ceremony to mark the global climate strike week for awareness creation on climat change in Cross River.
NCF projects manager in Cross River State, Emmanuel Owan said that the exercise was aimed at addressing the problem posed by climate change and associated witg environmental challenges in the country.
Owan said the awareness was pivotal for the people of Cross River State so as to enable them contribute their quota towards the mitigation of climate change effect which has resulted to harsh weather condition in Nigeria and other parts of the world.
The project manager who spoke on the the theme “nature-based solution for climate resilience” explained that for the target to be achieved NCF has a task of planting about 3 million trees across Nigeria.
He said that the organization has partnered the government of River State with other conservation agencies /clubs in schools in the three senatorial districts for planting of 20,000 trees before the year runs out.
His words :” NCF boss said,Today we are marking the climate action week and we are trying to create awareness and sensitization in the need to plant a tree and also develop mitigation strategies.
“NCF has a mandate to within a few years establish a 25% forest cover for the country and by doing that we plant trees every year.
“We have planted over three million trees across the country and during the wet Carnival we collaborated with the state government to plant 20,000 trees including donation to school conservation clubs across the state”,
The NCF manager added that climate change has an immense effect on the society including change in rainfall pattern, crop shortage, heat intensity and called on everyone to plant a tree wherever they are.
On his part , the permanent secretary Cross River State Ministry of Climate Change and Forestry, Ogbang Akwaji, said the 50% of the remaining rain forest in the country hence is nature’s gift to the world was domiciled in the state
He said the government was committed to protecting the forests and salvaging the environment hence the creation of a climate change and Forestry ministry underscores this.
The state government he said will use what nature has blessed it with in salvaging the world and called on all to key into this by planting a tree.
