The Junior Chamber International (JCI) Eko says it will plant 19 trees along the Maryland/Ojota axis of Lagos state to commemorate its 19th anniversary and combat the effects of climate change in the state.
The JCI Eko President, Mr. Gafar Odubote, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos state that the exercise would hold on March 2.
“In celebration of JCI Eko’s 19th anniversary, we want to remember the environment through tree-planting which will in turn contribute to mitigating climate change effect in the state.
“Some environs in the city already suffer from deforestation and excess carbon-print; the tree-planting is an action to protect the environment from climate change and also to beautify our society.
“With the high rate of carbon-print being emitted in the environment; more trees will help absorb them and provide oxygen to improve the quality of air we breathe.
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“The exercise is in collaboration with JCI Eko members and volunteers from the community,” he told NAN.
Odubote said that the association had engaged the services of a local horticulturist/vendor for one year to nurture and maintain the trees.
“With the efforts of our past presidents, we intend to plant 19 trees to celebrate 19 years of our existence.
“The strategy is that each past president will donate a tree. Hence, we are sponsoring the tree-planting from our pockets.
“Aside from the aesthetics benefit of tree planting; my advice to all Nigerians is to care more for the environment and the future of our society.
“Commercial ‘danfo’ drivers should not turn the median reserved as green areas for trees to driving lane, thereby, destroying the trees.
“The government and civil societies should do more in sensitizing people on the importance of trees.
“JCI Eko is a strong advocate of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and we are using every opportunity we have to promote it in our society.
“We have also written to the Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency (LASPARK) for collaboration on the exercise,” the JCI president said. (NAN)
