The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has expressed deep concern over the growing threat climate change poses to trees and plant species in Kano State, calling for stronger public awareness and community action toward environmental protection.
Speaking during a public lecture held on Wednesday in Kano, environmentalist Mr. Sani Muhammad Khamees warned that the state’s vegetation and biodiversity are under increasing pressure from climate change, habitat destruction, and unsustainable human activities.
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The lecture, titled “Educational Awareness and the Protection of Threatened Trees and Plant Species in Kano State, Nigeria,” was part of CITAD’s ongoing campaign to promote environmental consciousness and community participation in conservation.
Khamees emphasized that the survival of trees and plants is critical to maintaining ecological balance, human health, and environmental stability. He stressed that research support, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable practices are essential to prevent the permanent loss of endangered species.
He urged governments at all levels to enforce existing environmental laws and policies, while calling on communities to take ownership of conservation efforts.
“Raising public awareness about biodiversity and the risks facing endangered species is key to encouraging citizens’ participation in conservation,”
he said, adding that tree planting alone would not be effective unless people cultivate a genuine sense of responsibility toward nature.
Khamees further advocated for a comprehensive conservation strategy that includes habitat protection, restoration, and control of invasive species. He noted that empowering local communities and reviving traditional conservation ethics could play a vital role in protecting rare and threatened plants.
He disclosed that CITAD will continue to monitor endangered plant species, assess habitat quality, and evaluate conservation outcomes to guide future interventions.
Chairman of the occasion, Prof. Ibrahim Lawal of the Faculty of Life Sciences, Bayero University, Kano, commended CITAD for drawing attention to an issue that, in his words, “touches the roots of our existence.”
“Protecting trees is protecting ourselves,”
he said, stressing that environmental protection should be seen as a shared responsibility between government and citizens.
Prof. Lawal also called for stronger collaboration among universities, research institutions, and civil society organizations to develop data-driven solutions to the growing climate crisis.
Earlier, CITAD’s Executive Director, Mr. Y. Z. Ya’u, highlighted the importance of tree protection as a core element of environmental sustainability. He recalled the public backlash that trailed the proposed relocation of the Kano Zoo, noting that civic pressure forced the government to suspend the plan.
Ya’u warned that if the land had been sold, property developers could have destroyed centuries-old trees with high carbon storage capacity.
“Such trees have existed for over 200 years, and it would take decades to recover their ecological value if lost,” he said.
He added that the disappearance of certain tree species has already contributed to the decline of bird populations, including vultures, in the state.
Ya’u expressed optimism that the lecture would rekindle public interest in tree preservation, warning that dependence on cooking gas should not be seen as an environmentally safe alternative, as it also contributes to ecological degradation.
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