Landscapers Urge National Assembly To Make Law On Mandatory Tree Planting In Homes
The Nigeria Institute of Landscape Horticulture (NILH) has urged the Nation Assembly to pass a law that mandates homeowners to plant at least one tree within their premises to combat the adverse effects of climate change in Nigeria.
Recognizing the crucial role of trees in mitigating climate change and safeguarding the environment, the institute emphasized the need for a greenery environment as a strategy to control environmental pollution.
The institute argued that implementing this law will help curb deforestation, improve air quality, reduce carbon emissions, and enhance biodiversity.
The President of NILH, Kola Quadri while speaking to Journalists at the 16th National Conference and Annual General Meeting held at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) with the theme; “Urban Greenery And Beautification As a Strategy For Control of Environmental Pollution And Climate Change”, stressed the importance of such law “at this critical time”.
To this end, the President suggested that the States Assembly should first implement the law and ensure that defaulters are penalized.
His words “Climate change in Nigeria is a worrisome menace that is causing problems all over the world. The problem is not peculiar to Nigeria alone.
He added “The National Assembly should implement law and make it mandatory for every homeowner to plant at least a tree at the front of their house. It should start from the local government, then the state should take it up. Let the state assembly first pass the law. Our institute will visit the state assembly on this. It is part of our programme and we are currently in partnership with the state government.
Also the state Chairman of the Institute, Comrade Emmanuel Bankole noted that the essence of the programme is to call the attention of policy makers to the effects of climate change and proffer measures to mitigate it.
Bankole hinted that the institute will work with the government at all levels to ensure that global warming is mitigated.
He said “We will work with the government at all levels to ensure that global warming is seriously mitigated so that we can preserve our environment for ourselves and the coming generation.
“We don’t just want to keep talking, we are moving to mitigate the effects of climate change. We are drawing the attention of policy makers to the importance of global warming.
Meanwhile, the Keynote Speaker, Dr. Elizabeth Oluwakemi Augustus who is the Provost of the Federal College of Agriculture, Ibadan stressed that increased tree cover in residential areas would contribute to enhanced aesthetics, fostering a sense of community pride and wellness
