Climate change: secondary schools benefit from tree planting in Abeokuta

Worried by the effects of climate change in the country, the Rotary Club of Ibara G.R.A. Abeokuta, on Monday began planting 150 trees in selected secondary schools in Abeokuta.

The President of the club, Rotarian Babarinde Oluwasegun disclosed this during the tree planting project organised by the club in collaboration with the state Ministry of Forestry at the St Leo’s College, Onikoko, Abeokuta.

Oluwasegun disclosed that 50 trees would be planted inside the St. Leo’s premises while the other 100 would be planted in other schools in the metropolis.

Reports have it that the benefitting schools are; St. Leo’s College, Onikoko, Catholic Comprehensive College and Ijemo-Titun High School.

Babarinde called on other organisations to emulate the gesture so as to address any climate change disaster in the future.

Also speaking, Mr Aliyu Mudasiru, the Principal Forestry Officer, Ministry of Forestry, said with the depletion of the ozone layer, there should be continuous planting of trees in the environment.

Mudasiru said that the rate of deforestation continues to rise hence the need to plant more trees to replenish the earth.

He called on other institutions and NGOs to plant tree as more trees would help keep environmental degradation at bay.

“This is a good innovation because tree is life. There is need for us to continue planting trees so as to save the future.

“As it is now, if we want to park our cars, we all look for spaces with shade or under trees to park our cars, so planting more trees is beneficial to humanity.

“It will be good if other institutions can follow suit with planting of trees. The rate of deforestation is high so we need to plant more trees,” Mudasiru said.

The principal of the school, Mrs Olubola Akintayo in her remarks said: “trees are necessary part of the nature and so we are privileged to partake in this tree planting project by the Rotary Club of Ibara”.

“I am so glad that we are contributing to the sustainability of nature,” Akintayo added.

She urged other non-governmental organisations to emulate the project embarked upon by Ibara Rotary Club.

An SSS-2 student of the school, Elizabeth Olumide commended the club for choosing her school for the campaign.

According to Olumide: “trees are beautiful to behold and they provide us with shade, so we are grateful to the Rotary Club for planting more in our school”.