Rotary District 9112 has unveiled plans to plant 1,000 coconut trees to combat coastal erosion in Lagos State.

At a press briefing heralding the 2024/2025 Rotary Tree Planting Coastal Restoration Initiative, scheduled for July 21, 2024, in Lagos, the District Governor of Rotary International, District 9112, Rotarian Femi Adenekan, emphasized the importance of this initiative.

“We are here to prepare members of the public ahead of our event on Sunday, the 21st of July, where we plan to plant 1,000 coconut trees along the coastal shores of the Atlantic Ocean,” Adenekan stated.

“This is an initiative we have taken up to protect ourselves because we often think it is to protect the environment. However, we all know the environment will remain as it is, but we are the ones changing it. If care is not taken, the environment will revolt against us. So we need to prepare ourselves against the calamity before humanity, and this is why we are planting the 1,000 trees along the coastal shores. We expect all members of the public to join us in this effort. Our target is to plant 10,000 trees throughout the year.”

District Chair of the Public Image Committee of Rotary International, District 9112, Mr. Ehi Braimah, highlighted the urgency of the initiative. “What we are doing is focusing on one of the seven areas of focus for Rotary International, which is protecting the environment.

We plan to plant 10,000 seedlings of coconut, mango, or any other seed all over the state—public institutions, coastal areas, private estates, schools, and everywhere.”

Rotarian Gboyega Bada, Chair of the Tree Planting Committee, Rotary District 9112, reiterated the district’s commitment to combating climate change.

He added that their vision for this year is to achieve a safer and cleaner environment by planting 10,000 seedlings of coconut, mango, and other crops that offer economic, health, and environmental benefits.