News by Abdullahi Jalaludeen
A non Governmenal Organization. Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) has distributed variety of tree seedlings to some secondary schools in Kano State, with the aim of enhancing environmental conservation and students’ nutrition.
The foundation’s Director General, Alhaji Mukhtar Aminu-Kano, handed over the seedlings to the Commissioner, Ministry of Education, Alhaji Muhammad Sanusi-Kiru, at Government Girls’ College, Dala, Kano.
He said that the project was under School Orchard Project, Nigeria.
The DG maitained that Nigeria was facing the challenge of desertification, soil erosion and deforestation due to felling of trees for firewood, charcoal and timber.
He said about four hundred thousand hectares of forests were being lost annually and explained that initiating the program in schools was meant at catching them young.
Mukhtar Aminu noted that five secondary schools were selected to benefit from the gesture including Government Girls’ College (GGC) Dala and Government Girls’ College (GGC) Kiru.
Others were Government Girls’ Arabic College (GGAC) Goron-dutse, Sani Bello Science College and Government Tahfizil Qur’an Kiru.
Aminu-Kano said that the seedlings distributed were guava, orange and mango as well as water tanks, watering cans, hand gloves, diggers, among others for maintenance of the seedlings.
The DG urged the benefitting schools to plant and nurse the seedlings up to maturity stage to achieve the set objective.
In his remarks, the state commissioner of education, represented by the Director, Education Support Services, Malam Ibrahim Yakasai, thanked the foundation for the project.
Earlier in her remark, the Director of the school, Hajiya Ramatu Mukhtar, commended the foundation for the foresight and commitment in fighting deforestation.