FCTA, Rotary Boost Abuja Greening Drive With 6,000 Trees

To boost Abuja’s greening drive, the FCT Department of Parks and Recreation, in collaboration with the Rotary Club of Abuja Deluxe has commenced planting 6,000 trees in the Katampedistrict of Abuja, as a strategy to beautify and save the environment.

The director of the Parks and Recreation Department, Isaiah Ukpana, during the flagging off of the exercise at the Patrick Yakowa Street, in Katampe extension, said there are about 30 streets in the district to be planted with trees, as part of its tree-planting effort across three selected districts, of which Katampeis the last.

Ukpana said the trees were supplied through partnerships with a lot of organisations, adding that for instance in Katampe district, they have, Rotary Club Purple Hands, AstraZeneca and Parks Association amongst other NGOs.

According to him, there is a lot of professionalism going into the exercise, to ensure that selected trees are those whose roots will not damage underground infrastructure within the green verge.

“On our part, we are going to do a lot of watering, to make sure that these trees during the dry season can still survive. We are hoping to plant about 6,000 trees here (Katampe District). In this District, some roads have been planted earlier, and we have about 30 streets to be planted with trees, in the next few years, this environment will change.

“Because, tree planting is an environmentally friendly activity, which every citizen should do. Trees give a good landmark to a community, purifies the environment, and helps to control erosion. To this extent, it is important for us stakeholders to own the trees. We encourage residents of this neighbourhood to do so,” he stressed.

Also, the president of the Rotary Club of Abuja Deluxe, Brenda Max-Nduaguibe, noted that the Club plants trees as a strategy to sustainably contribute to saving the environment, which is one of its seven areas of focus this year.

Nduaguibe said Rotary is partnering with an NGO, Purple Hands Initiative, and FCTA’s Department of Parks and Recreation to plant 722 trees in the whole of Patrick YakowaStreet in Katampe Extension, as its contribution to support the government and residents in the area and humanity at large.