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From: Tunde Omolehin, Sokoto
The Botanical Society of Nigeria (BOSON) says it plans to plant 500, 000 trees across the country, according to its President, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe.
Ogundipe disclosed this, in Sokoto, on Monday, at the opening of the Society’s 25th Annual Conference.
The conference has as its theme,” Repositioning Botany for Economic and Environmental Transformation of Nigeria.”
He said the tree seedlings were donated to the society by the Federal Ministry of Environment, with the promise of providing, when needed.
“The exercise will cover the entire and 20,000 of such trees would be planted in Sokoto State.
“The gesture is aimed at helping to mitigate the effect of climate change, desertification, flooding, gully and coastal erosion, among others.”
Ogundipe further averred that trees had myriad of advantages ranging from economic, ecological, medicinal and others.
“The society is venturing into applied science to help in further solving some problems in the society like plant allergies and the impact of global warning on the ecosystem,” he added.
The Chairman of the occasion, Prof. Alhassan Gani, Vice Chancellor, Federal University, Kashere, Gombe State, said that plants help to nurture and nourish the environment.
Also, the Vice Chancellor of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Prof. Abdullahi Zuru said, ” the overwhelming benefits and roles of plants in our natural ecosystem cannot be overemphasized.
The Keynote Speaker, Prof. Alfred Oteng-Yeboah, Department of Plant and Environmental Biology, University Ghana, Legon, advised the society to be actively involved in national economic, social and environmental activities.
