World Youth Day: Jigawa govt, UNICEF mobilise youth on mass tree planting

The Jigawa State Government, in partnership with the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund UNICEF, has begun mass tree-planting campaigns to mitigate the effect of flooding.

UNICEF said it is supporting the Jigawa State government by providing resources to mobilise the youth population across the state and inculcate the habit of tree planting among them.

The Programme Specialist, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene WASH, UNICEF Field Office Kano, Uba Lawal, stated this during a tree planting event by youths held in Sule-tankarkar local government area of the state to commemorate the 2024 International Youth Day.

Mr Lawan said the Jigawa state government is leading the campaign and has provided 1,500 trees to be planted in three local government areas. He explained that 100 youths were involved in the tree-planting campaign exercise.

According to him, the tree planting campaign is a key approach to mitigating the effects of climate change, especially in the semi-arid areas of northern Jigawa where deforestation has severely affected the region.

World Youth Day

Mr Lawal pointed out that the campaign targets the planting of 1,500 trees. He said 500 trees were planted in Babura local government area, and another 500 trees each would be planted in Maigatari and Sule Tankarkar local government areas of the state.

Also, the Managing Director of Jigawa State Environmental Protection Agency (JISEPA), Adamu Sabo, said the campaign targeted the state’s frontline local government areas where deforestation and desertification are noticeable.

Mr Sabo said in each of the local council areas, 100 youths were selected to engage in tree planting.

According to him, the idea of engaging youths in the tree planting campaign is part of the present administration’s 12-point agenda in the state to mitigate climate change, protect the land against erosion and increase the survival rate of trees for fresh oxygen.

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He said trees give off oxygen that we need to breathe, reduce erosion and pollution in our waterways, and reduce the effects of flooding, which occurs during the rainy season in the state.

Many species of wildlife depend on trees for habitat. Tree planting improves the ability of forests to sequester carbon, helping to mitigate the impacts of climate change and improve air quality.

Healthy forests store massive amounts of carbon in ecosystem carbon reservoirs. In one year, 100 mature trees can remove 50 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent and 430 pounds of pollution from the atmosphere, he added.