A child right organisation, Save the Children International (SCI), have called on the Nigerian government to develop policies that will restrict people from indiscriminate felling of trees in the country.
SCI made the call at an outreach programme it organised in conjunction with Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) on Tuesday in Abuja.
The event held at the Junior Secondary School Piwoyi Abuja, and it’s part of activities to commemorate the 2024 World Environment Day.
Tree felling is the process of cutting down trees. Indiscriminate felling of trees could lead to climate crisis with far-reaching consequences that affect not only the environment but also the society at large.
Speaking at the event, Save the Children International Advocacy Campaign and Policy Manager, Ifedilichukwu Ekene Innocent, expressed worry that children who are innocent of indiscriminate cutting down of trees are the worst hit by its adverse effect.
He emphasised that the right policy on climate change is key to promoting a safer environment for the country.
“Government have not done enough in terms of providing clean energies for families to be able to use for their cooking and so you will continue to see people, families, individuals falling trees but efforts in replacing is what is very important and that is what will save the environment.
“Government needs to put processes and policies in place to ensure that people don’t fall trees indiscriminately and where these trees are cut for economic benefits, they should be replaced. We should make conscious efforts to replace trees that are being cut down at various locations and where possible discourage anything that will cause individuals to fall trees”, he said.
Stressing further on the need to plant trees, Mr Innocent said, “It is important that people begin to plant trees, those plants that they enjoy. If you like mango, plant mango, if you like orange, plant orange. Not only planting, maintain these trees, nurture them, and ensure that they grow properly.
“If you have a tree in your compound, the atmosphere around your compound will be different from other places.
“There are a lot of benefits in tree planting. It has economic impact, it has social impact, it has health impact and nutrition impact, this is why we are promoting tree planting.
“We are using this opportunity to encourage school children to be part of tree planting. What that is doing in their head is helping them to know that you have to work hard to safeguard the environment. We are happy the children are adding their voices and they are also participating in planting these trees”, he added.
Also, the Chief of Piwoyi, Tanko Bahago expressed commitment to sensitise his community this rainy season on the importance of planting trees.
On her part, the principal of Junior Secondary School Piwoyi, Mrs Nwagugu Ngozi, commended Save the Children International for complimenting what the school is already doing by educating students on the need to plant trees.
She urged the international organisation to extend the same gesture to other schools.
The theme of this year’s World Environment Day is “Land restoration, desertification and drought resilience”.
