The Environmental Conservation and Climate Action Initiative (ECCAI) in collaboration with the Benue State government has launched the Onyepa, Mile 4 Forest Reserve Restoration Project in Ohimini LGA of Benue State.
Our correspondent reports that ECCAI and Gogreen Environmental Health Sustainability Initiatives (GOEHSI) in collaboration with the Benue State Ministry of Water Resources, Environment, and Climate Change, officially flagged off the exercise to restore vital ecosystems, promote afforestation and strengthen the fight against climate change in the region.
Executive Director of ECCAI, Victoria Esa, said the move towards restoring forest reserve cannot be overemphasised in the face of climate change and stressed the need for the community to take full ownership of the project to ensure its long-term sustainability.
Esa explained that only through community commitment and ongoing engagement, the environmental benefits of the project can be sustained for future generations.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GOEHSI, Jackson Ameh, represented by Terfa Nyiutsa, reiterated that the project is worth more than just planting trees but that the Onyepa, Mile 4 Forest Reserve Restoration Project aimed at reviving a critical ecosystem that supports biodiversity and mitigates the adverse effects of climate change in the region.
On his part, the representative of the Commissioner of Water resources, Environment and Climate Change, Kperaikyer Apir who is also the Chairman of Forest Association of Nigeria, Benue State Chapter, stressed the need for continued collaboration between community members, local government, and environmental organisations to protect the restored forest reserve and ensure that its benefits extend well into the future.
