NEWMAP plants 1,000 trees in C’River, tasks residents on activity

VC of Igbinedion varsity, others get environment award
To mark this year’s World Environmental Day (WED) and in its determination to increase the earth’s greenery, the Cross River State Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (CRS-NEWMAP) has planted 1,000 trees in Calabar, the state capital.

NEWMAP in partnership with the World Bank unveiled the tree planting exercise and sensitisation programme across Calabar.

Senior Special Assistant to Governor Benedict Ayade on NEWMAP, Francis Agaba, said the 2021 world environmental day with the theme:
“Ecosystem Restoration”, NEWMAP decided to key in by sensitising its people on the importance of tree planting in their immediate environment.

Also speaking, National Resource Management Officer of NEWMAP, Mrs. Theresa Aboa, said: “With this year’s theme of restoring the environment, our ecosystem has been so depleted that we cut trees indiscriminately.

“Even in our farms, we cut down trees and we are supposed to protect the environment by planting trees. In our farms, we can plant economic trees that we can sell to earn money.”

MEANWHILE, stakeholders of environmental and energy sectors and Chairman, Centre for Global Eco-Innovation (CGE) Nigeria, Prof. Lawrence Ezemonye and others have been recognized with an Environment Icon Award.

Ezemonye, who is also Vice Chancellor, Igbinedion University Okada (IUO), was conferred with “Environment Icon Award” for his role and commitment towards promoting sustainable environmental development.

He was represented by the Dean of Pharmacy of IUO), Prof. Ighodaro Igbe, at the event organised by Frontline Energy and Environmental Consultancy Services (FEECS) in Benin City.

He expressed the hope for a sustainable environment, saying: “We must now rethink our relationship with the sunny world with natural ecosystems and their biodiversity, and work towards its restoration,” he said.