The Managing Director of the Hadejia Jama’are River Basin Development Authority (HJRBDA), Mr Rabiu Bichi, has commended the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN) for donating 100 tree seedlings to the authority.
Bichi described the gesture as a major boost to ongoing efforts to address climate change, land degradation and soil erosion in the region.
He made the remark on Wednesday while receiving the seedlings from APWEN for onward distribution to farmers within the authority’s operational areas.
The managing director praised the association for what he described as a timely and thoughtful intervention that aligned with the agency’s mandate of promoting sustainable environmental and agricultural development.
According to him, the authority will ensure that the seedlings are distributed to farmers across Kano, Bauchi and Jigawa states.
He said beneficiaries would be encouraged to plant and nurture the trees on their farms to achieve long-term environmental benefits.
Bichi noted that tree planting remained one of the most effective ways of curbing soil erosion, combating desertification and mitigating the effects of climate change, particularly in river basin communities that are vulnerable to environmental degradation.
He added that the authority would intensify its sensitization programmes to educate farmers on the importance of tree planting, sustainable land use and environmental protection, stressing that collective action was key to achieving lasting results.
Earlier, the Chairperson of APWEN, Mrs Safiyya Aliyu Mahmud, said the donation was part of the association’s corporate social responsibility aimed at addressing climate change challenges.
She explained that APWEN donated 100 tree seedlings of different varieties to be planted across areas covered by the river basin authority to help restore degraded land and reduce soil erosion and other environmental problems.
Mahmud said professional bodies had a responsibility to support government efforts in promoting environmental sustainability, adding that women engineers were committed to using their expertise and platforms to contribute to national development.
She expressed confidence that the collaboration with HJRBDA would yield positive results, given the authority’s wide reach among farmers and rural communities.
The APWEN chairperson urged farmers and community members to take ownership of the initiative by ensuring the seedlings were properly planted and protected, noting that tree planting was an investment in the future of coming generations.
