PLANTING ECONOMIC TREES SERVES ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC BENEFITS – AFSOK
Reporter: CHUKWUBUIKE MADU
Nigerians have been encouraged to embark on massive tree planting for its environmental and economic benefits. An eco-friendly citizen and voice trainer, Mr. Afam Okafor, fondly called AFSOK, made the call while applauding efforts by Rotary Club to sensitize people to the gains of tree planting.
Mr. Okafor, who is also founder Centre for Spoken English and Phonetics Education Enugu, explained that tree planting was a major way of reducing global warming, pointing out that filling of trees without their multiple replacement should be discouraged.
“It is high time we began to discourage tree felling and begin to plant trees because the world where we live is greatly threatened; rain forest is destroyed, humanity and life generally is getting ravaged by the impact of global warming and negative changes taking place,” Mr. Okafor stated.
Mr. Okafor emphasized that tree planting as part of farming, had the ability to create massive employment for youths. He called for adoption of technology to modernize the process and make it more interesting to youths.
“Trees can be economic crops, look at palm trees, I have not seen any economic tree like palm tree and it thrives in our climate here. In Malaysia, that is the mainstay of their economy.
“For instance, in Enugu State, where I come from, palm-wine tapping, oil processing of all types, these are the occupational heritage of my people. So it is about identifying what God has given to us and investing in it, also bringing in technology to modernize the process so that young people can embrace it and take pleasure in doing it.
“Can we be talking about unemployment? It is glaring (that) in Nigeria we are witnessing growing unemployment and growing population. Except people go into farming or may any ICT driven business, such people will go hungry any moment from now,” Mr. Okafor advised.
Mr. Okafor, who is a newly inducted member of Rotary Club also appealed to youths to acquire skills on Information and Communications Technology, ICT, class as the world is moving towards ICT driven economy.