Foundation Plants 100 Trees In Abuja Mining Communities

The Steron Community Development Foundation (SCDF) has planted 100 trees in Wasa and Takushara communities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as part of efforts to promote environmental sustainability in its host communities.

The exercise, tagged “Befriend a Tree Initiative,” was organised in partnership with the Climate Action Team Initiative and the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI).

The project comprises 80 economic trees, including mango and orange seedlings, and 20 mast trees planted at strategic locations across the two communities.

Leading the exercise, the managing director and chief executive officer of Steron Group, Abubakar Sadiq Omar, planted over 20 trees alongside residents and members of staff.

Omar said the initiative reflected the organsation’s responsibility to protect the environment in communities where it operates.

“This is personal for me,” he said, stressing that environmental sustainability should be treated as a responsibility rather than merely a corporate policy.

The initiative attracted commendation from partner organisations, with the founder of the Growth for Sustainable Agriculture Initiative and immediate past president of YALI Network, Daniel Black, praising Steron Group and SCDF for their commitment to environmental sustainability.

Also, the founder of The Ebaidebhek Initiative (TEI), Ebaide Omiunu, described the initiative as a demonstration of corporate responsibility.

Representing NEITI, its gender and environment officer, Stephanie, said the agency would continue to support transparency and accountability in the extractive sector and encourage responsible engagement between mining companies and host communities.

The exercise involved Steron Group staff and residents of the two communities.

The foundation said the initiative would continue with a clean-cooking programme in which Steron Group’s community development manager, Halima Imam, would train women in Wasa and Takushara to produce briquettes