targets 1m trees
T.R.E.E Initiative in collaboration with Growing Green Initiative, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) has launched #OneStudentOneTreeProject with a symbolic planting event as part of the one million trees to be planted in the University over the next five years.
The inaugural tree planting event was well attended by the University management and other stakeholders within the University Community. Over a thousand seedlings were planted by Student Volunteers including University Management Staffs to kick-start the project.
The Vice Chancellor Professor A. S. Gbadegesin, led other Principal Officers of the University including the Registrar, the Acting University Bursar, Librarian, members of the University Governing Council, the Director of Physical Planning, Deans, all Heads of Departments in the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Professors, Lecturers, and Student Volunteers who despite the ongoing examinations took time to participate in the most ambitious tree planting program in the country.
In his remarks, the elated Vice Chancellor, Professor A. S. Gbadegesin, commended T.R.E.E Initiative for collaborating with Growing Green Initiative of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences for the project. Apart from a personal donation to support GGI, the Vice Chancellor also pledged that the access road and bridge linking the tree planting site will be fixed by the end of October 2018, this was in addition to his pronouncement at the event, that the University Management has decided to increase the allotted land area to 50 acres (10 Hectares) from the initial approved 25 acres of land for the take-off phase.
In his remarks, the Dean of the Faculty Agricultural Sciences, Professor Olajide Ajao, thanked T.R.E.E Initiative for considering Growing Green Initiative of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences as her first partner in the national campaign for the #OneStudentOneTreeProject. He assured that the project will be sustained as a Faculty Policy and in essence this will require all students in the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences to plant at least a tree and nurture it until they graduate from the University.
The President of the Faculty Students Association, NAAS, Hammed Olasupo thanked T.R.E.E Initiative and Growing Green Initiative of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences for engaging Students in the planning of the event from the onset, this he noted has given the student volunteers the opportunity to gain more knowledge about the Global Goals for Sustainable Development (Agenda 2030).
Co-Founder, The Rural Environmental Empowerment Initiative (T.R.E.E Initiative), ‘Sola Kolawole appreciated the University Management for the adoption of #OneStudentOneTreeProject beyond the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences. The Environmentalist admonished the University Management through Growing Green Initiative to explore the wealth creation component of the project. The project if properly implemented and monitored as a carbon sequestration initiative can in many ways address some of the perennial funding challenges of the University.
As part of Climate Action and in line with the SDGs 2030 Agenda, ‘Sola Kolawole said they are particularly interested in maximizing the positive effect that the #OneStudentOneTreeProject will have on communities surrounding the University through advocacy as well as how smallholder farmers can benefit from sourcing quality tree seedlings that will be raised by GGI in LAUTECH to propagate the concept of agroforestry.
