Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State has urged residents to embrace tree planting as a collective responsibility, particularly during the rainy season, to control erosion, protect the environment and restore degraded ecosystems.

He said such efforts were essential to safeguarding the state’s environment and securing a sustainable future for generations to come.

Abiodun stated this on Saturday in a keynote address marking the 2026 Ogun Tree Planting Day, with the theme, “Root for the Future: Plant a Tree, Heal the Earth,” organised by the state Ministries of Environment and Forestry in Abeokuta.

The governor, who was represented by his Deputy, Noimot Salako-Oyedele, said the theme was timely as the effects of climate change were increasingly affecting communities, livelihoods and the economy.

He said climate change was no longer a distant concern, noting that rising temperatures, flooding, prolonged dry seasons, land degradation and biodiversity loss were increasingly affecting communities across the state.

“Tree planting is not merely the placing of seedlings into the soil but a reaffirmation of our collective responsibility to protect the environment, restore degraded ecosystems and secure a future where economic progress and environmental sustainability advance together,” he said.

The governor commended the administration of President Bola Tinubu for prioritising environmental sustainability through initiatives including the Nigeria Energy Transition Plan, National Clean Cooking Policy, Afforestation and Ecosystem Restoration, Climate-Safe Investments and Carbon Market Development.

He said Ogun remained committed to supporting the national objectives through investments in afforestation, renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, green infrastructure, waste management, environmental sanitation and improved flood-control mechanisms.

Abiodun also commended the Ministries of Environment and Forestry for sustaining the yearly tree-planting programme, saying it had grown beyond a government initiative into a statewide movement involving schools, tertiary institutions, corporate organisations, development partners and individual citizens.

He urged participants to sustain tree-planting efforts and ensure that planted trees matured through proper care and nurturing.

The Commissioner for Forestry, Taiwo Oludotun, said the state government had resuscitated all six forest reserves that were moribund before the commencement of the Abiodun administration.

He added that Ogun now had a good forest cover.

Also, the Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, said trees beautified cities and contributed to the physical and mental wellbeing of residents, stressing the need for increased tree planting across the state.

He urged residents to nurture every tree seedling, protect it from damage and monitor its growth.

Oresanya, while describing students and young people as “Environmental Champions of Tomorrow,” urged them to begin their commitment to environmental protection by planting trees in their schools, places of worship and communities and encouraging others to do the same.