The Darazo community in Bauchi State has launched an intensive sensitisation campaign to educate residents on the dangers of climate change, deforestation, and the importance of sustaining tree plantations.
The initiative aligns with the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) Green Nigeria Challenge championed by Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Remi Tinubu, under the theme “Go Green Today for a Greener Tomorrow.”
The campaign seeks to mobilise citizens to take collective action against deforestation and its devastating effects on the environment, livelihoods, and local climate.
Speaking during the tree plantation sustainability and watering exercise yesterday in Darazo, the chairman of the Tassallah Care Foundation, Architect Usman Yau Shehu, urged residents to take ownership of the trees planted within their communities.
“Every tree we plant is everyone’s responsibility to nurture. The future of our environment depends on how well we protect these trees,” Shehu said.
He explained that for four consecutive years, the foundation has engaged in reforestation activities to combat environmental degradation, noting that trees are essential for soil stabilization, water retention, and clean air.
Shehu disclosed that thousands of trees have already been planted around the Eid ground, along Muhammadu Buhari Bypass, and within Darazo town as part of the community’s contribution to the national green drive.
To sustain the effort, the foundation supported 17 local organizations with N50,000 each and distributed 250 watering cans to 82 groups for plantation maintenance. Plans are also underway to expand the initiative to all 11 wards in Darazo local government area.
The Emir of Darazo, Alhaji Ibrahim Bababa, represented by Alhaji Ahmed Jarmai, commended the effort and urged residents to protect the newly planted trees, warning that indiscriminate cutting could worsen desert encroachment and ecological decline.
Islamic cleric Malam Musa Aljawadi encouraged citizens to emulate the Prophet Muhammad’s teachings by planting trees, describing it as a form of Sadaqah Jariyah (continuous charity).
In his remarks, Ambassador Lawan Bappah, a community elder, applauded the foundation’s leadership in combating deforestation and urged residents to see tree planting as a civic duty for a healthier environment.
