By Josephine Uba
One Million Tree Initiative (OMTI), C-Power Solutions and Extel Table Water have concluded plans to plant 10,000 trees in Lagos and Port-Harcourt simultaneously to mark the 2025 World Environment Day. The event will take place on June 5.
The Lagos programme will take place at Gateway zone CDA, Magodo GRA, phase 1 and Magodo phase 2, while the Port-Harcourt event will take place at Queens Park Estate, Rumuosunwo.
According to the founder, OMTI, Washington Uba, the organisation aims to take its gospel of environmental stewardship and community engagement to other parts of the country.
He noted that this year’s programme would be a major shift from the usual tree planting programme. “This year, cash crops such as cocoa, and other edibles like oranges and tangerines, will be planted and the idea is to encourage economic sustainability and bring back the age-long culture of planting crops in residential areas.
“We plant for sustainability sake and this year, we are taking it a step further. It will be interesting to see children playing and running around the neighbourhood to pluck oranges in due season. This was the way children grew up in our days. All that is what we intend to reenact because it fosters good neighbourliness and a healthy communal interaction.”
The UN celebrates World Environment Day annually on 5 June. The Day encourages worldwide awareness and action for the protection of the environment. It underscores the importance of urgent action to halt biodiversity loss, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, air pollution and plastic waste and restore the environment
Themed, “Ending plastic pollution,” the World Environment Day 2025 aims to strengthen global commitment to this urgent cause and catalyse collective action for a sustainable future.
Uba further said: “Every tree we plant is a step towards a greener future. We are not just planting trees; we are planting hopes and dreams for future generations.
Last year, OMTI had in partnership with corporate organisations like LG Electronics, SMP Media Group and C-Power Solutions, planted 100 Madagascan almond trees in a Lagos community, Omole Estate Phase 1, Ikeja, in commemoration of the 2024 World Environment Day.”