The Ogun State Government has unveiled an ambitious plan to plant 1 million trees before the end of this year’s planting season in a sweeping environmental initiative aimed at combating climate change, deforestation, and flooding.

 

Governor Dapo Abiodun, represented by the Commissioner for Forestry, Oludotun Taiwo, made the announcement on Saturday during the 2025 Ogun Tree Planting Day. The event was organised by the Ministry of Environment in collaboration with the Ministries of Forestry, Physical & Urban Development, Housing, and Community Development.

 

According to the Governor, the tree-planting drive, themed “Plant and Grow Trees, Sustain Life”  will be implemented under the “One Citizen, One Tree” campaign across all 20 local government areas of the state. The initiative aims to establish community tree gardens in each LGA, train 500 youths and women as green ambassadors, integrate tree planting into school curricula, and embed it into market sanitation programmes.

 

“Today we are not just planting trees; we are planting hope, health, and the future of Ogun State,” Abiodun said. “Trees give us oxygen, clean our air, shield our climate, and yet, year after year, they disappear. We must be honest, climate change is real. We have seen longer dry seasons, flash floods washing away dams, and rising temperatures affecting both livestock and humans. These are no longer distant threats, they are local problems that need local solutions.”

 

The Governor explained that the trees will not only provide fruits and medicinal benefits but will also help reduce urban temperatures, prevent erosion, and mitigate flooding caused by environmental degradation and ozone layer depletion.

 

Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, emphasised that the Abiodun-led administration has a robust decarbonisation plan to make Ogun more livable, particularly given its status as a major industrial hub.

 

Citing a United Nations warning on the global climate crisis, Oresanya said Ogun is committed to strategic, scientific, and survival-driven tree planting to reduce flood devastation. He revealed that the state will partner more closely with industries, integrate tree planting into school curricula, and introduce incentives for groups, schools, and institutions excelling in planting and nurturing trees.

 

“Tree planting in Ogun is not ceremonial,” Oresanya stressed. “It is a conscious and calculated step toward a healthier and safer environment.”

 

In his goodwill message, the Commissioner for Physical and Urban Development, Tunji Odunlami, noted that “tree is life and without it, all will be dead.” He urged developers to comply with town planning regulations that mandate tree preservation, warning against indiscriminate felling during building projects.

 

Adeyemo Olayomade, representing the Nigeria Conservation Foundation (NCF), pledged that his organisation would work to ensure that every planted tree is nurtured to maturity.

 

With the campaign underway, the Ogun State Government hopes the initiative will not only restore greenery but also inspire a lasting culture of environmental responsibility among residents.