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From Abel Leonard, Lafia
The Nasarawa State Government has set up a sustainable action plan towards mitigating the impacts of climate change and other environmental challenges in the state.
The Managing Director, Nasarawa Urban Development Board (NUDP), Mr Mohammed Wada Yahaya, stated this during the maiden launch of the first phase of the tree planting project at the state-owned Isa Mustapha Agwai Polytechnic (IMAP) in Lafia, the state capital.
The first phase of the tree-planting project was the initiative of Nasarawa State Government-owned IMAP as part of efforts towards securing the school and its surrounding environment from degradation.
Mr Yahaya pointed out that the state, like every other part of the country, was facing environmental challenges due to climate change characterised by an increase in the temperature level, variable rainfall, flooding and droughts.
The MD, represented by the Head of Department, Town Planning, of the board, Mallam Suleiman Alkasim, stated that considering the importance of trees to human existence, the state government was working on a template towards ensuring that organizations including institutions of learning make tree planting as a policy in their Programme of action.
IMAP Rector Dr Justina Kotso stated that since the establishment of the polytechnic over 20 years ago, no physical plan was put in place to secure the school which had exposed it to environmental hazards such as erosion, flooding and desertification.
She stated that the programme which is tagged “Green IMAP 2022 Tree Planting Project” was a deliberate approach to salvage the school from environmental degradation by massive planting of trees.
Dr Kotso, who added that each staff of the polytechnic had been tasked to plant and nurture a tree, said 1500 trees were to be planted in and around the polytechnic in the first phase of the project before the rainfall sets in fully.
