UNICEF partners UI to educate 1000 students on environmental conservation 

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is partnering with the University of Ibadan (UI) to educate students on environmental conservation and the need to pursue courses related to the preservation of the environment.

The project is tagged: “UNICEF-University of Ibadan Green Rising Success” and is hosted by the Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources of the university. It began on Wednesday at the First Bank Building of the Faculty of Agriculture, UI.

The two-day event began with an interactive session with the staff of the faculty and tree planting activities at Awba Dam Watershed, around Awo Hall of the university on Thursday.

Five hundred students from the premier university and other five hundred secondary schools were present at the interactive session.

Speaking at the session, the UNICEF Planning, Monitoring, and Reporting Specialist, Lagos Field Office, Oluwasola Olanipekun, stressed the need to enlighten the students on the conservation of the environment.

Olanipekun said: “There are two things we are doing. One is to enlighten young people on the environment. That’s why we call this project Green Rising. The second one is the reforestation of the Awba Dam.

“It is to green the environment and to help students to understand how important our environment is to our living. Trees enhance life. Trees give out oxygen and take in carbon dioxide. Man, human beings produce carbon dioxide, breathe out carbon dioxide, and take in oxygen. So, both man and plant have a symbiotic relationship.”

On her part, the Dean Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources, University of Ibadan, Prof. Adejoke Akinyele, said UNICEF is partnering with the University of Ibadan to create awareness and to educate secondary school students and university students about the environment.

Akinyele added that the programme was also to encourage the students to choose a career in the conservation of the environment.

“We have to educate the younger ones, those in secondary school, about making a career choosing a career path in environmental sciences. And those that are already in the university, their first degree, can still come back for a master’s in the area related to the environment,” she said.

“So, we brought students from five secondary schools in Ibadan. We have at least 100 students from each school gathered here today and we also have our own students, UI students, who are also interested in the conservation of the environment. We have another 500 students from the University of Ibadan. All in all, we have 1,000 students gathered here for the awareness and the student outreach.

“It’s not just the awareness programme alone. On Thursday, we’ll also be planting 1,000 trees. Each student will plant a seedling. And we’re doing that at the UI Awba Dam watershed. That’s where we’re planting the trees on Thursday.”

Also speaking, the Oyo State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof Saliu Adelabu, urged the students to work towards the conservation of the environment.

Dr. Adeyinka Olatunji, the University of Ibadan Admission Officer, took the students through the requirements and subject combinations to gain admission into the faculty.