The Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja in Nigeria has launched a campaign to plant thousands of trees aimed at fostering “ecological conversion”, the Local Ordinary has said.
In his speech during the launch of the Abuja Archdiocesan Tree Planting Campaign at Maryland Passo Gwagwalada Abuja on August 25, Archbishop Ignatius Ayau Kaigama said that the initiative was part of the implementation of Pope Francis’ May 2015 Encyclical on Care for Our Common Home, Laudato Si’.
“Abuja Archdiocese will be planning 20,000 trees yearly for the next five years as a way of protecting the environment in line with the Commitment of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) to implement the Holy Father Pope Francis Encyclical, Laudato Si’, Care for our Common Home,” Archbishop Kaigama said.
He added, “What we are doing here today is to promote ecological conversion and Pope Francis’s Encyclical Letter, Laudato Si’, calling on the world to treat the environment more fairly as we carry out our activities as human beings; if you go round our environment, you will see a lot of plastic waste and other forms of environmental pollution that has affected our environment.”
The Nigerian Catholic Archbishop commended members of CBCN for initiating the 5 million tree planting project in Nigeria “to ensure the prevention of Climate Change, global warming and reforestation of the country.”
Also speaking during the August 25 event, the Chairman of Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC) of Abuja Archdiocese, Josephat Abaagu, expressed optimism that tree planting can be of immense help in environmental protection.
“Protecting the Earth is crucial because it sustains all life, providing resources and a stable environment. Pope Francis emphasizes tree planting as a way to protect the Earth due to trees' role in combating climate change,” Mr. Abaagu said.
He explained that trees can “absorb carbon dioxide, provide oxygen, prevent soil erosion, and support biodiversity. This aligns with the Pope's call for responsible stewardship of the planet to ensure a sustainable future for generations to come.”
Meanwhile, a representative from the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Environment, Yunusa Idris, who participated in the August 25 initiative to support the effort of the Catholic Church in the West African Nation called on citizens to “complement the government's effort in restoring our fast-degrading environment through planting trees.”