Photo credits: RCE Minna

To commemorate World Environment Day (WED) 2018 and its theme 'Beat Plastic Pollution', RCE Minna in collaboration with the Nigerian Environmental Society (NES) Niger State Chapter, Niger State Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Niger State Ministry of Lands and Housing, and Niger State Environmental Protection Agency planted 200 trees at the Three Arm Zone in Minna Metropolis.

Tagged ‘Plant a Tree and Earn a Living’, the aim of the initiative is to engage local communities to help sustain trees and maintain them, and in turn receiving stipends for every tree that survives its first and subsequent anniversaries until the trees are big enough to stand on their own.

In attendance at the event were Niger State Commissioner of Lands and Housing, Alhaji Isah Musa Kanko, the Commissioner of Environment, Alhaji Idris Jibrin Amin, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Environment, Hajiya Ramatu Umar and her counterpart from the Ministry of Lands, Development Partners from GIZ led by Mr. Bello Dantoro, NESREA, and NGOs, among others.

Individuals took turns to talk about the theme and the importance of what individuals and institutions are doing and can do to help rid the environment of plastic pollution, including simple acts such as refusing to collect polythene bags and joining the global coalition against plastic pollution; the Plastic Pollution Coalition (PPC).

RCE Minna’s efforts were praised by both the Commissioner of Lands and Housing and the Commissioner of Environment, with the Ministry of Environment donating an additional 100 trees to RCE Minna as part of its contribution to the success of the program. The event ended with a tree planting ceremony.