Nigeria: Julius Berger, Others Partner to Plant 20,000 Trees in Army Cantonment

To combat deforestation and climate change, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, in partnership with the Forest Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN) and the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), has launched the planting of over 20,000 trees at the Muhammadu Buhari Cantonment of the Nigerian Army in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The weekend exercise has boosted Nigeria's green cover and national ecological security efforts. It combines Julius Berger's funding and coordination with FRIN's technical expertise and NCF's conservation experience.

The dean of the Faculty at the Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre, Maj-Gen. J.Y. Maina, who represented the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen. Olufemi Oluyede emphasised the link between a healthy environment and national security.

He described the initiative as a strategic national investment, stressing that it is a "practical demonstration of our shared recognition that environmental protection is inseparable from national security.

"Climate change, desertification and environmental degradation threaten our country's stability. The Army chief said that tree planting is not just an ecological necessity but a strategic investment in our collective future," the Army chief said.

Oluyede said the collaboration was a shining example of how the military, government institutions, and the private sector can collaborate for sustainable development.

The zonal coordinator of the NCF, Mr. Garba Boyi, who represented the director-general, Dr. Joseph Onoja, said the initiative supports the NCF's "Green Recovery Nigeria" mission and noted that Nigeria had lost over 90 per cent of its forest cover.

"For us to achieve our mandate of biodiversity conservation, we have come up with an initiative to salvage our vegetation. I want to use this opportunity to thank our sponsors, Julius Berger, for being a huge part of this initiative. This is a big feat; we are sincerely grateful to the company for giving us the funds," he said.

The director of the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria, Prof. Zacharia Buba Yadura, said, "We didn't have sponsors or partners, and Julius Berger decided through the NCF to partner with this initiative. We thank Julius Berger for joining us on this vital journey."

The chief executive of Ceed Africa Limited, Dr. Okechukwu Ogbonna, also thanked Julius Berger for funding the project.

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