As non governmental organisation embarks on aforestation in Adamawa…

Disturbed by the increasing risk of environmental degradation occasioned by human activities amidst climatic change, a non- governmental organisation has taken tree planting campaign to Adamawa rural communities mostly affected by Boko Haram insurgency. Muazu Abari writes.

The devastating effect of environmental degradation caused mostly by indiscriminate falling of trees and other human factors leading to deforestation, flooding, drought and other environmental disaster can only be imagined rather than described especially in the North-east region.


This has continued to be a cause for global concern thereby attracting the attention of the United Nations in addition to other international players to keep on drawing the attention of countries on the urgent need to take all necessary steps to avert this disaster which is currently threatening the society.
Investigation shows that most countries around the world have complied with this warning by taking proactive steps to safeguard their environment. Ethiopia, for instance, reportedly planted 4bn trees in 2019 planted 11m trees nationally in a day while Turkey declared 11 November every year as Turkish Forest and National Tree Planting Day but not much have been achieved in Nigeria in this regard, despite government’s efforts.

When the NGO stepped in

It is in line with this commitment and the need to salvage humanity that I Y Kwache Foundation, a reputable non-governmental organisations founded by a UK-based Adamawa indigene, Dr Iliya Yame Kwache, known for cultural rebirth, phylanthropy, community development services and championing environmental issues and sustainability decided to take a lead by taking its tree planting campaign to Adamawa rural communities mostly affected by Boko Haram insurgency.


I Y Kwache Foundation tree planting campaign was launched in Michika, one of Boko Haram affected areas in the state targeting 10,000 trees aimed at preserving the environment for generation yet unborn.


Speaking during the flagging off, chairman board of trustees, Dr Kwache said the exercise is one of the objectives of the foundation aimed at tackling the challenges of drought, erosion, desert encroachment, among other environmental issues geared towards preserving the environment for the next generation.


He expressed concerned over the alarming and indiscriminate felling of trees across communities in the state without replacement while calling for change of attitudes. He stressed that massive tree planting is a major way out of mitigating climatic change due to global warming as advocated by the United Nations. He therefore called on other African countries to borrow a leaf from Ethiopia and Turkey.


“Today is a history-making day for I Y Kwache Foundation in the sense that it has initiated one of its major objectives. The major problem facing humanity now is global warming due to climatic change. Reports by various committees set up by the United Nations has sounded this warning of global temperature rising by 1.5c every year which leads to drought, floods and wildfire world wide in many countries.The recent flooding in Germany is a bigger warning to us all.


“Here in Africa, there is annual drop in rainfall; the rivers and lakes are drying out; the United Nations reports that 2019 was the warmest year on record. Therefore has since advised that mass tree planting is a major way of reversing and mitigating climatic change and global warming. Many countries have since embarked on gigantic mass tree planting to safe our planet.


“I.Y Kwache Foundation believes in preserving the planet for the next generation, hence our decision to embarked on mass tree planting annually as one of it’s objectives.”
According to him, it is in compliance with this global warning that Ethiopia reports planting of 4bn trees in 2019 while Turkey planted over 303,150 trees in one hour in one village and over 11 million trees planted nationally in a day with the declaration of November every year as Turkish Forest and National Tree Planting Day.
Even as he challenged the federal government, states, local governments, individuals and corporate organisations among other to borrow a leaf from Ethiopia and Turkey in massive planting of trees, he described it as a collective responsibility which should not be left for government alone.

Traditional rulers, community leaders applaud efforts.

Speaking at the event, the village head of Michika, Yakubu Lawan, applauded Kwache in community development services and for his various contributions to the development of the society through the activities of the foundation while urging him to keep on the good work of serving humanity.


He assured him of their readiness to partner with him and the foundation to bring succour to humanity. He commended the foundation for placing emphasis on mahogany trees in the tree planting campaign which he said is very historical and important to Kamwe people.
“We applaud his efforts and appreciate all the intervations of the foundation in various sectors of our national life geared towards bringing succour not only to the people of Michka and Adamawa but Nigerians as a whole. I am particularly happy that the foundation has given priority to mahogony trees which is very historical and important to the people of Michika.


“We thank God for his emphasis on mahogony trees. It embodies everything which our people are used to right from our forefathers and seriously value in our culture and traditions. We will continue to support and partner with him in his quest to salvage our environment and humanity,” he said.


Also speaking the village head of Tumbara/Ndabal Gwawna Zakawa eulogised Kwache Foundation and its founder for always putting the interest of humanity at heart in its activities while assuring them of his commitments not only to support the foundation to achieve its objectives but to also mobilise public supports to the foundation.
“First of all, I want to appreciates Iliya Kwache for having Michika’s interest at heart. He knows what the world is going through now that desert encroachment is fast moving. What he is doing now is to make sure that our people get out of this problem, so this tree planting campaign is very important in the lives of Michika people and it would help us out of desert encroachment challenges.


“It would also help our people in so many ways. From the initial stage, this mahogony trees is very important to the culture of Michika people right from times immemorial. It is medicinal, we produce oil out of it, it serves as a shed among many other benefits; so, this tree planting campaign is going to help our people a lot especially in the remote areas because when they keep on planting this tree, it would serve as a source of employment to our people because some people would embark on producing medicinal oil out of it,” he said.

Beneficiaries promised to sustain campaign.

Responding, one of the beneficiaries of the tree planting campaign who also represents NUlGE chairman of the local government, Mr Clement Hure, thanked God for the opportunity given to him to be one of the beneficiaries. He stressed the importance of the campaign and called on all to step down the campaign to other communities in the state.
“I am most grateful today as I become one of the beneficiaries of this free tree planting campaign by I.Y Kwache Foundation because if we have trees around our houses and farms, it would not be easy for wind to blow it off. So, you see we can have shed, even our farms can benefit from it. We can have manure from it among many other benefits so really I am happy today.


“I will also encourage others to follow his footsteps because anybody who loves his people must do something to help them out. We have a lot of farmers here in Michika and we know that cutting down trees is going to cause erosion which would make the soil not to be fertile and this would affect yield. With this campaign, it would go along way to assisting our people.”


Another beneficiary, Hannatu Stephen, described the campaign as timely and commended the founder even as she described him as a proud son of the state who brings honour and dignity to his people. She called for attitudinal change on the part of the people in order to sustain the campaign.
“I want to comment the efforts of our son and brother, Barrister Iliya Kwache through this foundation for organising this programme to enhance the importance of tree planting in our communities. I will also advice our people not to be cutting down trees but keep on planting it for our collective benefits.”


Most of those who spoke at the event promised to abide with the message of the campaign and extend it to other communities in the state with some proposing implementation of stringent measures against violators of forest and environmental laws.