The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has organised a one-day workshop to equip secondary school teachers with practical knowledge on indigenous tree planting to promote climate resilience and biodiversity conservation in Kano
The workshop, titled “Greening Our Future: Indigenous Tree Planting for Climate Resilience and Biodiversity,” brought together teachers from selected secondary schools under the Kano State Secondary Schools Management Board (KSSMB) and the Science and Technical Schools Board (STSB).
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Speaking at the opening of the workshop, the Executive Director of CITAD, Engr. Yunusa Zakari Ya’u, said the initiative was aimed at promoting a culture of tree planting among students through their teachers.
“One of the objectives of this workshop is to promote the culture of tree planting among students to help preserve the environment. With teachers as participants, we have ambassadors who will guide the students,” Ya’u said.
He said the training was designed to equip teachers with the knowledge and practical skills needed to establish, plant, maintain and monitor indigenous trees while promoting climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, wind erosion control and environmental stewardship in schools.
“By building the capacity of teachers, we are investing in a new generation that understands the importance of protecting the environment and taking practical action against climate change,” he said.
According to him, schools remain strategic platforms for promoting environmental sustainability, adding that the knowledge acquired by participants would enable them to establish tree-planting initiatives in their respective schools.
Also speaking, CITAD’s Senior Programmes Officer, Technology and Climate Change, Sani Khamees, identified climate change, deforestation, desertification, biodiversity loss and wind erosion as major environmental challenges confronting Kano State.
“The effects of climate change are becoming increasingly visible in Kano through rising temperatures, desertification, biodiversity loss and land degradation. Addressing these challenges requires collective responsibility, and planting indigenous trees is one of the most practical and sustainable solutions available to us,” Khamees said.
In his presentation, Prof. Ibrahim Lawan of the Department of Biological Sciences, Bayero University, Kano, urged Nigerians to adopt a new approach to environmental protection.
“We must consider the environment as a system and a process. We need to change, redefine and recalibrate our thinking on the environment,” Lawan said.
The professor, who spoke on “The Need for Exhibitions as a Veritable Tool for Sensitisation,” said awareness creation and sustained public engagement were critical to promoting environmental responsibility.
Also, Ummy H. U. Adamu of the Kano State Ministry of Water Resources, Environment and Climate Change highlighted the ecological, environmental and socio-economic importance of indigenous tree species.
“Indigenous trees play a critical role in restoring ecosystems, supporting biodiversity and improving livelihoods. Planting the right species in the right places is essential for long-term environmental sustainability,” Adamu said.
She also conducted a practical session on tree-planting techniques, including site selection, planting methods, watering, mulching and early maintenance to improve the survival rate of planted trees.
The workshop featured technical sessions on climate change, biodiversity conservation and sustainable tree planting.
The training forms part of CITAD’s broader environmental sustainability initiatives aimed at strengthening community resilience to climate change through education, capacity building and the promotion of indigenous tree species across Kano State.
