Ibadan — Tree planting collaboration between BATN Foundation and the Community Link Advancement Programme (CLAP) founded by Oluwakemi Alao-Akala, wife of the governor of Oyo State, Adebayo Alao-Akala, inaugurated five-hectare Teak tree plantation in Ologede Village in Atisbo Local Government Area of the state.

The third in the series of the plantation, it was said was part of the efforts of the partnership to tackle environmental degradation in the state and the Oyo State First Lady sought for enabling laws from appropriate authorities against indiscriminate felling of trees.

Such laws, according to the wife of the governor, "should make it compulsory that when a tree must of necessity be felled, at least five to 10 times the number of the trees so felled should be planted, depending on the climate, soil conditions and the geographical layout of the area".

She also urged authorities of local government areas to take active interest in awareness creation about trees and to pay more attention to tree planting.

In his speech at the occasion, the BATN Foundation's Executive Director, Gbenga Ibikunle, said the parlous state of environment called for concerted efforts by both the government and other stakeholders to address environmental degradation, pollution, depletion of the ozone layer, desert encroachment and deforestation among others.

Recalling that since the inception of the programme in 2008, two 10-hectare teak tree plantations had been established in Saki West Local Government Area and Jabata community in Surulere council, he disclosed that each of the two plantations had been revisited this year and two hectares each of teak plantation were re-established to enhance their development.

According to him, "The Foundation believes that the annual tree planting campaign would go a long way in creating awareness about the global environmental problems and also encourage tree planting as a way of solving some of the problems".

He disclosed that apart from the partnership with CLAP on annual tree planting in Oyo State, the Foundation had established tree plantations in Katsina, Zamfara, Nasarawa, Jigawa and Yobe states while "one is nearing completion in Kano State".